Strawberry's Hidden Power
by Kapiushion
Summary: A story that focuses on the relationship between Ichigo, Zangetsu and Hollow Ichigo. What if Ichigo found out about everything, including about his mother, the wandenreich and Yhwach a lot sooner than he did along with the secrets of the universe and chooses a different path. Discover the truth behind Aizen and Yhwach's actions. Spoiler alert: There is no romance in this story
1. Prelude

Notes: This is my first Bleach fanfic which I decided to make because something about the manga really annoyed me. First off, we never saw Ichigo having a talk with his Hollow after realizing he is the real Zangetsu and second, for someone who's power was supposed to be suppressed his whole life, he turned out to be a disappointment as his only new toy was a cross shaped Getsuga Tensho. The focus of my fanfic will be an improved relationship between Ichigo and his Inner Hollow. It will also cover all the way to the Thousand Year Blood War.

To avoid confusion here is how the story works:

**Bold text **indicate it his Hollow Ichigo speaking

Underlined text indicates it is Old Man Zangetsu

_Italicized text_ indicates flashbacks

Words in in between '' means that the character is thinking to himself. Example: 'He is strong'

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

**Warning:**

**\- As mentioned, this story will not contain any trails of romance**

**\- Do NOT expect any heroic characteristics from any characters**

**\- Many of the battles will resemble the ones in the canon tybw arc, meaning they're gonna be really brutal**

**\- This story is greatly inspired by the first two movies of the dark knight trilogy, although I won't mention which characters influenced this story**

**If you do not like things like that, then this story might not be for you. You have been warned**

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**Prelude**

**-Ulquiorra's Report-**

After Ulquiorra Cifer gave his report about Ichigo Kurosaki, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez was unsatisfied at how the fourth espada handled the situation. Deciding to act without Sosuke Aizen's permission, Grimmjow mobilized to attack the world of the living, bringing with him his five fracciones.

Arriving in Karakura Town, the six of them split up to hunt down anyone even with just a sliver of spiritual pressure. Grimmjow, after sensing that one of his fraccion, Di Roy, has been killed, decided to investigate the area where he died and found himself facing off against Rukia Kuchiki and Ichigo Kurosaki.

"What the hell happened here? Di Roy's been killed? Oh well. In that case, I'll just have to kill the both of you. Let me introduce myself, I'm arrancar six. You can call me Grimmjow." Grimmjow, announced who he is to the duo, then immediately punched a whole in Rukia's stomach. Now it was just him vs the orange haired substitute. Ichigo launches several attacks on Grimmjow only to have the blue haired arrancar block them with his bare hand. "Damn it" Ichigo cursed and immediately fell back.

"Hey are you even trying kid? I don't wanna waste the effort of killing you when you're not at full strength. You better do it or I'll punch you full of holes like I did to that soul reaper over there." Grimmjow stated with a bored expression.

"Ban-Kai" Ichigo muttered and immediately went to attack Grimmjow. However every slash, punch and kick he launched the blue haired arrancar just blocked and caught all of them like they were no big deal. Deciding to get on the offensive, Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo's sword and threw him across the alley all the way to a nearby street. He then used sonido to move in front of Ichigo and launched numerous punches at the substitute soul reaper. After a few dozen attacks, he kicked Ichigo to the center of a crossroad and the substitute soul reaper was knocked out cold.

"Is that all there is to your bankai? I gotta say you turned out to be a real disappointment. You used your bankai and all it gives you is average speed? Huh?" Grimmjow yelled. Bored with the fight, the blue haired arrancer decided to finish Ichigo off and used sonido to move to Ichigo's location and tried to kick Ichigo right in the head. To his surprise, Ichigo suddenly caught his foot and launched a kick of his own, sending the arrancar a few feet back. "Well that was a fine kick. It seems you might not be that much of a disappointment" the arrancar said after recovering from the attack and looking towards his opponent but to his surprise, Ichigo now had a white mask slowly forming on his face and his eyes were now black with a gold sclera.

"**Ichigo, you really are an idiot. After learning bankai you never bothered to get stronger. All you did was get comfy as a normal human** **all the while thinking that you will be a match for anyone who crosses your path ****and now I have to save your miserable ass again. You're pathetic.**" Ichigo said to himself, which confused Grimmjow greatly as to why he was talking to himself

"What the hell are you talking about soul reaper? Have you gone insane?" Grimmjow yelled, obviously not understanding what was going on about his enemy.

"**Insane? Well I guess you could say that."** Ichigo said before immediately flashing in front of Grimmjow and slashing him across the torso. Giving him no time to react, Ichigo then kicked him right where he slashed and sent Grimmjow to the ground.

Grimmjow was in utter surprise, one moment his opponent was on the verge of death and now suddenly has gained tremendous speed and power. "This is how it should have been from the start! It may turn out that you may be a worthy opponent soul reaper." Grimmjow yelled and flashed in front of Ichigo, trying to punch him again. Surprising him once again, Ichigo just blocked his punch with the back of his left hand and immediately used his free hand to swing his sword right towards Grimmjow's head. Sensing the danger Grimmjow flashed away but was still grazed by the attack.

"**What's the matter arrancar? What happened to all that big talk of yours?**" mocked Ichigo, which only infuriated the arrancar.

"Shut up" Grimmjow said before charging a Cero in his left hand and launched it at his target. His eyes then widened for the umpteenth time when Ichigo just caught the doom blast with his bare hands. Ichigo's sword then suddenly emitted black energy with a red outline before slashing his sword at Grimmjow's direction, launching a Getsuga Tensho at his opponent. Realizing this attack was dangerous, the blue haired arrancar then jumped up to dodge it but unfortunately for him, the attack can be controlled and changed direction, hitting Grimmjow and causing a cloud of smoke to appear at his location. Once the smoke cleared, Grimmjow was shown to be bleeding profusely. Part of his clothing were now torn, blood was dripping from his head and there were cuts all over his body.

"**Is that it arrancar? That cero of yours almost had no bite to it. I say it was pretty pathetic. I didn't even have to dodge it. Oh well I guess that's all there is to you." **Ichigo stated. Just as he was about to finish off Grimmjow, he suddenly grabbed the mask on his face and trying to pull it off. "**You're going to interfere with me again? You're too weak stop. If you chase me out right now you'll die for sure. Don't you understand you're not strong enough. You fool! Damn you!"** the entity yelled before his mask was torn off. Ichigo then ended up panting heavily, having used up too much energy to drive away his inner hollow and now having almost none left to continue the fight.

Grimmjow was watching the whole scene and was now more confused than ever. It was only when Ichigo ripped off the mask on his face that Grimmjow realized that his opponent's spiritual pressure changed from a hollow back to a soul reaper when he knocked him out cold. "Hahahahaha what the hell was that soul reaper? You had me on the ropes and now you're just standing there and not finishing me off? If you won't end it then I will. Now Grind..." Grimmjow yelled, while getting into his sword release stance when suddenly someone flashed to him and stopped him from releasing his ressureccion.

"Put your sword away, Grimmjow" the man ordered him

"What the hell are you doing here, Tosen?" Grimmjow asked the man who interfered in his fight.

"You ask why? You can't be serious. You chose to invade the world of the living on your own and you took five arrancars without permission, then you lost them in battle. You have disobeyed orders. You understand that much don't you? Lord Aizen is quite upset with you Grimmjow. Come. Your punishment for these acts will be decided in Hueco Mundo" Kaname coldly stated before opening a garganta.

"Are you kidding me? Things were just starting to get very interesting and now you stop my fight for this?!" exclaimed an outraged Grimmjow

"Do not make me force you to return Grimmjow." Kaname stated before heading inside the garganta. "Fine then." Grimmjow muttered and followed while still fuming about his fight being interrupted

"Hey you hold on! Where the hell do you think you're going? You come here and you attack us and then you just leave? You've gotta be kidding me. Get back down here. This fight still isn't finished damn it" Ichigo raged at the blue haired arrancar who was going home

"Get over it! The only reason you are still alive is because i'm going home and whatever that thing was that happened to you so consider yourself lucky. We will meet again and once we do we will finish this fight. Don't forget my name soul reaper and you better pray that you never hear it again. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez" Grimmjow yelled back to the teen before retreating inside the garganta

One thing that Ichigo realized was what the arrancar said before he retreated. 'Whatever that thing was that happened to you'. Upon hearing these words, Ichigo realized something was off about his inner hollow.

"So, did you win your fight?" Renji asked, walking to him from down the street

"I'm not sure" Ichigo answered

"Well in any case let's go back to where Rukia is. She is being healed by Orihime right now." Renji said before walking off with Ichigo following shortly thereafter

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Author's Notes: This part is just a prelude to the main story, specifically where everything begins for Ichigo and his Hollow. Kindly review however I will not be doing any revision until the story is finished.


	2. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Here is the first chapter of my story. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

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Chapter One - Motivations

Ichigo and Renji soon arrived on the rooftop where Orihime was healing Rukia. "You lost control didn't you?" Rukia asked Ichigo after noticing the grim expression on your face

"Yeah." Ichigo mutter with fear clearly evident in the tone of his voice

"If you are worried about that hollow inside you then you should ask Kisuke for help. I mean the guy is the one that trained you after all." Rukia suggested

"No. He has already done enough by training me. This is a problem I have to figure out on my own. Besides something about my hollow isn't right and I'm not talking about the fact that he is trying to take over my body." Ichigo shot down Rukia's suggestion, his voice still sounding kinda sad. "I'm going home Rukia. There is something I need to do but first I'm gonna need some sleep." he continued before jumping down the rooftop and walking to his house. Truthfully he wasn't planning on sleeping once he gets home. No, he had something different in mind.

Rukia, Renji and Orihime then looked at each, trying to figure out Ichigo's actions but none of them have the slightest clue on what the strawberry was up to.

"You think Ichigo will be alright?" Orihime asked, obviously worried about her crush

"He will be. The guy is one tough bastard. I don't think his hollow be much trouble to him." Renji reassured her but he knew his words were empty, the last part at least. He did see the last part of Ichigo's fight. His Hollow had the arrancar of the ropes and was about to finish off Grimmjow before Ichigo managed to regain control. Truthfully it also made Renji worry about Ichigo.

Rukia on the other hand, was simply staring at Ichigo's shrinking figure while still trying to figure out the strawberry's action. 'What are you planning to do Ichigo?' she thought worriedly

-Ichigo's house'

Arriving in his house after a few minutes, Ichigo opened the window and returned to his body, removing the bandages on him shortly after. He then layed down on the bed and started to think hard. What really got his attention was what Grimmjow said. 'Whatever that thing was.'

It was only then that Ichigo realized that if it wasn't for his inner hollow, Grimmjow would have crushed his head already. He then reflected on his battles in the Soul Society and remembered something very important. The only reason he ever made it out of that place alive was not simply because of his efforts but because his hollow saved his life, especially in his fight with Byakuya where his body was creaking from the strain of using his bankai without proper understanding of how it works or getting used to its spiritual pressure. It wasn't only that though, in his fight with Zaraki and Renji, his hollow formed a mask on his body, which according to Hanataro and Yoruichi, absorbed the most fatal of blows from his two opponents.

Realizing that his hollow has some sort of motivation and not just trying to take over just for the hell of it, Ichigo wanted answers and so tried to enter his inner world and confront his hollow. Unfortunately for him, this is the first time that he wanted to enter it by himself as the first time he was inside his inner world it was because of his transformation during his training with Kisuke and the second time was when Zangetsu brought him there during his fight with Zaraki. After a few minutes of cursing and grumbling about not knowing how to do it, he was finally able to enter his inner world.

When he entered though it was not Zangetsu that was in his inner world. It was someone who looked exactly like him but with opposite colors. He knew who this entity was. It was his inner hollow.

"**Hey! Long time no see, King. What's wrong? By the expression on your face you look glum."** the hollow greeted him with a massive evil grin on his face

Ichigo's eyes were wandering his inner world while trying to find someone. "Where the hell is Zangetsu? Answer me!" he yelled at the hollow

"**Given that you came here in your human body and not your soul reaper form, I'm guessing that you are not here to fight me, are you Ichigo?" **the hollow stated, completely ignoring Ichigo's question all the while still maintaining his grin

'Fight him? What? Why would I have to fight him?' Ichigo wondered to himself. Normally he would be furious at his question being ignored but he just let it slip this time as he was too busy thinking about something. "No I am not. Just who in the hell are you and what do you want with me? I don't think you are just some guy trying to take over me for absolutely no good reason. Unlike what I was told about hollows you certainly don't act like one, especially since you saved my life more times than I would ever care to remember." Ichigo asked blunty which surprised the hollow and causing silence to take over for a few moments

His grin disappeared upon hearing those words and turned into a serious frown. '**Crap! It seems he has managed to figure it out. At this rate he is gonna figure out the truth about me and the old man or at the very least, suspect that something is off between us. Looks like he's gonna have to learn how to use his hollowfication or things won't go as how we want it to. However I am not gonna just give it to him for free. In that case there is only one thing to do.'** the hollow pondered. Inwardly he was actually very surprised and felt slightly happy that the gears in Ichigo's head were now turning however he was never gonna say it out load. "**Urahara's shop. Tomorrow morning. First thing when you wake up." **the hollow ordered Ichigo with a serious expression on his face.

"Wait, what?" Ichigo asked, confused

"**When you wake up, I want you to go to that dumbass shopkeeper's shop and borrow one of those things that forcefully manifests the zanpakuto." **the hollow told Ichigo while still retaining his serious look. Ichigo was about to say something before he continued**. "You asked me a question didn't you? You did get some of it right in what you just said however I will clarify it and it will make much more sense if we do it outside."**

"Fine then." Ichigo muttered, understanding what the hollow just said. Inwardly he was in a state of shock. He had never seen his hollow look so serious before. The guy usually would just keep mocking him with a maniacal laughter. Seeing his hollow serious meant that he was in no mood for arguments. Ichigo didn't want to argue either. He wanted answers and if he would get them this way then he'll do it.

"**Before you go Ichigo, I just wanna give you a parting thought. Do not trust the soul society. Just keep this between the two of us and do not mention this to anyone, not even Kisuke Urahara." **the hollow stated as Ichigo was vanishing from his inner world.

Confused by this, Ichigo gave a nod nonetheless. He may not trust his hollow completely, but after his conversation with him, the least he could do was give him the benefit of the doubt. He then went to sleep after leaving his inner world, obviously wondering what the hollow was up to.

"**Well, seems like he is not as stupid as I thought after all. Either that or he is starting to mature and use his brain." **the hollow said to nobody in particular.

Unknown to Ichigo, while he was conversing with his hollow, Rukia came into his room and checked on him. Fortunately with how tired he was, he didn't make it particularly obvious that he was in his inner world and his body looked like he was just sleeping. Rukia then decided to go to the room that was lent to her by Ichigo's family and went to sleep herself.

-Visored Hideout-

The Visored all have sensed the various battles around them. In fact they even knew that the arrancars have arrived in town however they chose not to take action. They also felt it when Ichigo hollowfied during his fight with one of the arrancars.

"So baldy, when do you think Ichigo will come to us for help?" Hiyori asked her fellow visored

"We can't be entirely sure. However with the situation of his hollow as it is, I don't think it would be too much longer before he realizes he can't control it on his own." Hachigen answered before Shinji could respond

"Why don't we just kidnap the guy?" Hiyori suggested

"Dumbass, if we did that we'd only be drawing attention to ourselves." Shinji replied which caused Hiyori to smack him in the face with her sandal

"Don't call me dumbass,baldy! We could kidnap him discreetly and bring him here." Hiyori yelled at Shinji's face

"Then he won't be able to trust us to help him." Hachi stated which drew everyone's attention to him. "We need Ichigo to trust us that we will be able to help him control his hollow, otherwise he would just run away without giving us a chance. I propose we just wait until Ichigo decides to approach us before we help him." he continued

"Wait, how is he supposed to find our place in the first place?" Rose joined the conversation

"Well, I could just release tiny bits of my spiritual pressure so he could find our hideout." Shinji responded

"And what if he still doesn't come baldy?" Hiyori yelled at Shinji again

"Then I will go check on him." Shinji said seriously which caused the rest of the visored to nod in agreement. "Alright if it's settled then we just chill until he decides to come to us."

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Notes: I have some free time this week so the next chapter should be uploaded in the next 72 hours unless something comes up. Again kindly review


	3. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Well. here is the second chapter. Hope you enjoy it

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

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Chapter Two - Suspicions

The next morning, Ichigo started walking off towards Urahara's shop after grabbing a small bite to eat. He woke up very early and left before anyone was awake. It was a long walk towards Urahara's shop since it is located on the other side of town, so Ichigo decided to enjoy the walk he gets before he gets to confront his hollow again.

"**Ichigo, when you get to the shop, don't tell Kisuke that it is me that is going to manifest and not Zangetsu."** the hollow said inside Ichigo's head

'Why not?' Ichigo mentally asked him in response

**"Because if you do, that guy might not let you borrow one. Worse yet, he might tie you up and bring you to those visored clowns." **his hollow answered him

'Wait, Kisuke knows the visored?' Ichigo asked surprised

"**Can't be sure but the guy has proven himself to know stuff even if there was no way he could have known so it wouldn't be a far reach to assume he is aware of the visored. Just give him the excuse that Zangetsu wants to train you. And since you already achieved bankai, you won't have to worry about us finishing our little face to face session in three days." **the hollow explained to Ichigo with a serious tone

'Fine. Fine. I really hope you keep your end of our little bargain. I don't really want to bother Kisuke anymore. Not to mention I don't wanna lie to him.' Ichigo mentally sighed

"**Just keep to yourself Ichigo. If there is anything odd you notice, don't tell anyone about it and don't say it out load. Especially since the red pineapple is mooching off Urahara. As I told you last night, don't trust the soul society. Just consider them as the enemy of my enemy is my friend." **the hollow said, again with a serious tone

'Alright, alright but you better tell me what you know once this is over.' Ichigo muttered mentally

"**When you are ready for it, I will explain it to you. With how much of a dumbass you are right now and Aizen preparing to start a war, you are not ready for it yet, nor is it the right time for you to know it." **his hollow stated

'So when is the right time?' Ichigo asked, ignoring the insult that was thrown at him

**"When this mess about Aizen is over." **the hollow replied simply

A few minutes later, Ichigo arrived at Urahara's shop. He saw Jinta and Ururu doing some cleaning on the outside of the shop. "Hey, is Hat n Clogs here?" Ichigo asked the two

"Yeah he's inside. Not sure if he already woke up though." Jinta stated while opening the doors to the shop while Ururu just kept on with her task

"What are you doing Jinta? It's still too early to open up the shop" Tessai asked while carrying a box of merchandise

"Strawberry is here and he wants to talk to Mr Urahara." Jinta replied before going back to continue cleaning. This also caused Ichigo to get several tick marks on his head.

"Just a minute Mr Kurosaki. I'll go see if the boss is up." Tessai stated as he put down the box but when he turned around he saw Kisuke already up

"Don't bother. I'm already awake for once." Kisuke stated while yawning before grabbing down his hat to cover one of his eyes. "So what can I do for you this morning Ichigo?" he continued

"I was wondering if I could borrow one of those dolls that Yoruichi used to train me for bankai. Zangetsu wants to talk to me about something but he insists on doing it outside." Ichigo answered him

Kisuke stared at Ichigo for a few moments before replying "Alright, go to the training ground and I'll bring you the doll." he then looked to the door and lightly shouted. "Hey Ururu, can you get one of the tenshintai from the back of shop?"

"Yes Mr Kisuke." Ururu politely replied and ran to the back of the shop

"That reminds me, where is Renji?" Ichigo asked Kisuke

"He's sleeping. That moocher does nothing but eat and sleep here. He is completely useless when he's not fighting." Jinta yelled from outside which caused Ichigo to smirk at the response

A few minutes later, Ichigo and Kisuke were in the underground training area before Yoruichi walked up to the both of them.

"What are you doing here so early in the morning Ichigo?" she asked while barely fighting off a yawn

"Zangetsu wants to talk to me about something." Ichigo replied simply which caused Yoruichi to quirk an eyebrow as to why he didn't just talk with Zangetsu in his inner world but she said nothing afterwards nontheless

"Alright Ichigo, if you're ready, stab the doll with your blade and Zangetsu will manifest." Kisuke said cheerfully while holding up the doll

Ichigo then put the combat pass to himself and his soul ejected from his body, before promptly stabbing the doll

However to the complete surprise of the two former captains, it wasn't Zangetsu that manifested but someone who looked exactly like Ichigo but with opposite colors. Kisuke was even more shocked at this. Yoruichi had told him about when she trained Ichigo and who Zangetsu was, so seeing as it was his hollow that manifested greatly surprised them both. It wasn't only that, but the spiritual pressure he exerted also intimidated the both of them. It was stronger than all of their own individually. This caused them to take a few steps back. Above all they were rather shocked at Ichigo as he mentioned he was gonna train with Zangetsu but he was lying to them. 'Why would you lie to us Ichigo?' the both of them thought similarly before Yoruichi dragged Ichigo's body away

"**Ahh. It feels good to be out of that world of yours. It was getting rather boring."** the hollow stated to no one in particular

Ichigo was staring at the hollow for a few moments before his face adopted an expression of surprise "I just realized something. You never told me who you are and it feels odd just calling you as 'hollow'. So what do I call you?" Ichigo asked his hollow

The hollow deadpanned "**Do I look like I care what in the hell you call me? Call me whatever you want." **He replied while rolling his eyes

"In that case I'm just gonna call you 'White' from now on since you don't give a crap about names." Ichigo replied with a small scowl

His hollow then gave an eerie laugh at this which surprised everyone. "What's so funny?" Ichigo asked him

"**Nothing. You just reminded me of something." **White replied with an evil grin on his face

"Whatever. Now tell me where in the hell is Zangetsu? And why are you the one that came out and not him? Answer me!" Ichigo yelled

White once again gave another eerie laugh before answering "**Ichigo, maybe you aren't aware of this, but Zangetsu and I have always been one and the same. Together we're your spirit energy, I used to be a part of him, we shared the same body. But as our relationship began to change so too did our individual appearances. When life is in control flesh covers the bones, when death takes over, the bones become exposed. It's the same with Zangetsu and I. Over time my power increased. Control started to switch to over to death and Zangetsu became a part of me. The more you try to draw on Zangetsu's power, the easier it became for me to dominate your soul."**

Everyone was shocked at this revelation. Kisuke looked like he was trying to solve a puzzle. 'It's almost as if...' he thought

'So I guess he wasn't indirectly lying about Zangetsu.' Yoruichi thought to herself while her face looked like she was worried.

Ichigo scowled at White's response before continuing to ask questions. "Now tell me, why did you save me? What are your reasons for doing so?"

"**Well from what I can tell, you needed saving."** White replied sarcastically which caused Ichigo's scowl to deepen before he replied in a serious tone. "**I will not answer your last question, but I will give you the chance to figure it out yourself right here, right now. Does this sound acceptable to you Ichigo?"**

Ichigo glared at the hollow for a few moments before sighing. He knew no matter what he did there was no way White was just gonna give him an answer. Since according to himself, he and Zangetsu are one so it makes sense he won't get anything for free. "You're really a pain in the ass you know that. Fine then as long as I get my answer I will do what you say."

White just grinned at Ichigo's response before flashing out of the shop. This caused everyone to wonder where he went.

"Ichigo, what are you trying to do?" Yoruichi asked with worry evident in the tone of her voice as she and Kisuke walked up to him

"Just trying to find out the guy's motivation. I mean if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have made it out of the soul society alive." Ichigo replied

Kisuke was about to say something before Renji walked up to them. "Hey, what's going on here?" he asked as his slumber was awoken when someone flash stepped in the shop. Before anyone can answer, White suddenly flashed in carrying Orihime who was tied up in a black cloth. The same cloth that covered the zanpakuto in his back and also for some reason, White was carry a small bag with him.

"Orihime!" everyone in the underground training area yelled as soon as they set their gaze upon the hollow

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Author's Notes: Again kindly review. Yeah I decided to use White as the name for the hollow, which shouldn't be too unreasonable considering he was called as White before he tried to hollowfy Masaki. I'm about half way done with the next chapter so I should be able to release it soon.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

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"Orihime!" everyone yelled as they set eyes upon the hollow

Ichigo immediately used flash step in an attempt to save Orihime but White just side stepped and lightly kicked Ichigo on the legs, which caused him to trip and fall face first into the ground. The others immediately tried to save the girl who was currently tied up and squirming but White just grabbed his sword and pointed at at Orihime's throat, which made everyone stop in their tracks.

"**What the hell is the matter with you people? Haven't you learned not to jump to conclusions before everything is revealed?"** White replied nonchalantly. Ichigo then got up and was about to say something before White cut him off. "**You said you wanted answers right? Or are you no longer curious as to why I want to take over your body?" **he asked in a serious tone.

"Why the hell is Orihime here? I thought this was only supposed to be between us." Ichigo raged

White just sighed before answering "**She is gonna have a purpose in you figuring the answer you want Ichigo, that is why I brought her here. Now, are you ready to do this or not?" **his sword still pointed at Orihime's throat

The others were looking at the scene unfolding before with no small amount of anxiety and nervousness. They knew better that to act recklessly, after all, White was able to grab Orihime and return in less than three minutes, which was rather impressive considering her house is a good distance away from the shop so they just stood still and anxiously waited.

Ichigo was glaring at the hollow for a good five minutes before taking a deep breath and asked "What do you want me to do?"

Before White could reply Rukia suddenly came in. "Orihime!" she yelled as soon as she saw her friend taken hostage but before she could do anything Yoruichi flashed to her and held her shoulder. "Don't act recklessly Rukia or he might kill Orihime." Yoruichi said to Rukia, causing the short girl glare heavily at the hollow

"What in the hell is going on here?" Rukia demanded to know

"Apparently Ichigo's inner hollow wants to teach him something. We'll just have to wait and see what happens." Yoruichi answered nervously

White watched them with an evil grin before taking his sword away from Orihime's throat and just casually threw the girl to the side which caused everyone's nervousness to get worse. He then crouched and put a hand on the ground. After a few seconds a creature that looks like a humanoid lizard with three toed feet and a large tail that sticks out of its back appeared from the ground. "**This, Ichigo is the form that your body would look like if I take full control. Now I want you to take your sword at try to stab it as hard as you can." **White ordered Ichigo before looking at the others who were currently in the training grounds. "**Don't even think about it." ** he said while glaring at them, having completely read their mind as they were planning on rescuing Orihime. His golden eyes, were enough to send shivers down their spine and they decided things would probably get bad for all of them if they pissed off the entity standing before them.

Ichigo then did what he was told. He put his hand into his chest before summoning his zanpakuto. Immediately afterwards he slashed at the hollow that was created by White but to his utter surprise, his sword was unable to pierce the body of the creature. 'What the hell?' Ichigo thought as he looked at White

"**You will never be able to cut it, not with the state you are in right now." **White told Ichigo who was looking at him with a puzzled face. "**What I want you to do is quite simple actually, just land a cut on it. However while this is simple, it won't be that easy. In order for you to put so much as a scratch on it Ichigo, you have to figure out what is wrong with you. So I want you to think back to all your experiences in the soul society, reflect on them, and only when you have figured it out will you be able to cut this thing."**

Ichigo was silent for a while before speaking. "Alright but tell me, why did you bring Orihime here?" he asked

White just gave another eerie laugh before replying. "**Because there's a catch Ichigo. You won't have an eternity to do this. I will only give you three hours to figure it out and land a cut on it. If you fail to do so, I will kill her.**" this caused everyone to gasp in shock, knowing Ichigo's personality, it seemed very unlikely that he was gonna figure it out in time. "**Also Ichigo, this is only between you and me. If anyone tries to save the girl, she dies. She tries to escape, she dies. You try to ignore the creature and rescue her, she dies. Bottomline, anyone interferes, I will kill her." **This caused everyone to bite their lip in pure nervousness and beads of sweat rolled down Ichigo's head. Even Tessai, Jinta and Ururu who snuck into the underground area when Rukia came in were very uneasy at the whole situation.

"**Attack it when you are ready Ichigo. However I should mention this, the creature won't just stand around while you try to cut which means you're gonna have to fight it." **White warned just as Ichigo was about to attack

"Hold up, hold up." Rukia yelled getting everyone's attention. "What did you do with Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Matsumoto, hollow? They are supposed to be living at Orihime's place." she demanded know

White just quirked an eyebrow before replying. "**You mean that short white haired kid and big boobs? The girl wasn't at home when I kidnapped her. She was actually going for a walk when I found her. Too bad though. It would have been fun to cut down those two." **His reply only caused the uneasiness around him to rise as he knew they were all glaring at him

Ichigo then prepared to attack the creature before suddenly stopping. "Wait a minute, if I am fighting this thing then what are you gonna do, White?" he asked as he realized it.

White just grinned before grabbing the bag he brought with him earlier. "**I'm just gonna read this book I found. This is also why I gave you three hours to finish your task since by that time I will have finished reading." **he replied before flashing upstairs and getting a chair and table while causing Ichigo's jaw to drop. "**One more thing Ichigo, don't use your bankai."**

Ichigo suddenly had a panicked expression upon hearing that. "What? How the hell am I supposed to beat this thing without my bankai?" he yelled

White just facepalmed before replying . "**Dumbass, were you not paying attention to what I said? I told you all you have to do is cut it. I never said anything that you have to defeat it." **

Ichigo then brightened up in realization before shifting into another scowl. He then got into a fighting stance before charging at White's creation, attempting to cut it down. In retaliation, the creature just summoned a sword that looks like the one on White's back out of nowhere before parrying Ichigo's slash

Everyone else just watched what was going on. It became clear to them that they won't be able to save Orihime and that her fate was now in Ichigo's hands. Even if they were somehow able to take down Ichigo's inner hollow, they knew that they would not be able to save Orihime in time so they just stood there, hoping Ichigo would actually succeed, for the sake of their friend.

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Author's notes: Here is the third chapter. Hope you enjoy it. The next chapters won't be released at the same rate I released these last few ones. I have classes so I won't have much time to write. I will however try my best to upload at least one chapter per week. Again kindly review


	5. Chapter 4

Author's Notes: Well here is the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach

* * *

Chapter Four - Lesson Learned. Or have I?

-Urahara's Shop-

After a few minutes of fighting White's creation, Ichigo began to notice something. This was not simply about White forcing Ichigo to figure out what was wrong with him, he was also training Ichigo in sword fighting. As much as the strawberry hates to admit it, White was a much better swordsman than he was, if the creature he was fighting was any indication. White seemed to have noticed as when he realized this, he saw White from the corner of his eye looking at him with his grin becoming wider.

"Kisuke, is there anything we can do to save Orihime?" whispered Rukia which also drew the attention of Yoruichi and Renji

"As much as I hate to admit, there isn't. You can feel the hollow's spiritual pressure right? It's even greater than mine and Yoruichi's. At this point the only thing we can do is hope that Ichigo actually succeeds." Kisuke replied grimly

"Can't we have Tessai do something about this? I mean he is still upstairs right?" Renji asked

"That's a good idea. I'll go ask him." Yoruichi replied before attempting to flash upstairs. Before she could do so however, a red Getsuga Tensho suddenly slashed the ground sideways in front of her before a second one slashed a rock formation a good distance from the group. This also caused everyone's eyes to widen in shock before looking at White who was glaring at them. The fact that the hollow also slashed a rock formation made them realize that Tessai, Jinta and Ururu have snuck in, with them failing to notice because of how tense the situation was.

"**Do not make me repeat myself."** White told them venomously as his sword was slashed on the ground, which caused shivers up to send everyone's spine. This also forced them to face the reality that they will not be able to take Orihime from the hollow.

-Orihime's house-

"Hey Rangiku, where is Orihime?" questioned Toshiro as he walked into the living room and realized said girl wasn't in the house

"Oh hey there captain. She went out for a walk when she woke up." Rangiku answered cheerfully before her face adopted a thoughtful expression. "Now that you mention it, that was almost an hour ago. Do you think something happened to her?"

The both of them then concentrated and tried to locate her spiritual pressure. After a few minutes, they located her at Urahara's shop

"Strange. What do you think she would be doing at Urahara's shop this early in the morning, captain?" Rangiku asked

"I can't be sure, Rangiku. Maybe Kisuke Urahara just had something he wanted to talk with her about. We'll ask her later. Now come help me clean up." Toshiro ordered

"Captain!" Rangiku pouted at him

-Urahara's Shop-

At this point it has been nearly three hours since Ichigo started fighting. Two hours and forty two minutes to be exact and so far, he has yet to put so much as a scratch upon White's creation. Everyone else who is in the underground training area now has beads of sweat rolling down both sides of their heads.

For the last hours Ichigo has been fighting the thing, everyone had to admit it was a very powerful fighter. It surpassed all of them in terms of fighting ability. The fact that it could quickly change gears from swordsmanship to hand to hand combat, to using energy attacks like a cero or getsuga tensho did not help either. It was a losing battle and at the rate it was going, Orihime was going to die.

Now it's been two hours and fifty eight minutes since White forced Ichigo on his task. White then gave an eerie laugh as he finished reading his book. As soon as he did so Kisuke and everyone else immediately prepared to attack however White just ignored them and began to take his sword off his back. Just as he was about to strike down Orihime, he suddenly stopped and looked at Ichigo who has just managed to land a cut on the creatures left shoulder, sending it backwards a few feet away before following up with a getsuga tensho which landed a massive wound from its left shoulder where its original cut was, down to its right hip. The creature then just shrugged it off and its wound just coagulated before suddenly disappearing.

White was staring at Ichigo with an amused expression before speaking. "**Well, well, well. You actually managed to cut it with literally one minute to spare. I was kinda hoping you wouldn't be able to do it, Ichigo.**" He replied appraisingly before the cloth that tied up Orihime began to disappear. White then grabbed her by the throat which caused everyone to panic.

"What are you doing? I did what you said. Why are you still trying to kill her?!" Ichigo furiously yelled at the hollow

"**What? I told you she won't die if you succeeded right? And you did succeed so I'm letting her go."** White just replied as if it is the most obvious thing in the world. "**Here, take her away. She has served her purpose."** he told Kisuke and the others before throwing the girl in their direction. Renji then quickly moved to catch her before setting her down

"Are you okay, Orihime?" Rukia asked her worriedly as she and the others moved to her

"I will be alright Rukia." Orihime replied while trembling, obviously still reeling from what she just went through. Yoruichi then gave her a pat on the head with the others giving her a smile of relief.

Meanwhile with Ichigo and White, the two of them were staring at each other, one glaring daggers while the other with an amused expression. Both just continued to stare for a few minutes before White spoke up. "**So tell me King, what did you learn during your little play time?"** he asked while giving a slight eerie chuckle

Ichigo glared at the hollow for a few moments before replying. "Because I didn't have the will to defeat my enemies. Isn't that right?" which grabbed everyones attention.

"**Close but not quite." **White replied before continuing. "**The exact reason is you don't have the resolve to win. There is a difference between having a resolve to win than just having the will. You may have the will, but you don't have the tools to do the job and a will without tools will get you nowhere." **his reply however left everyone confused as to what he was talking about.

White then sighed before continuing. "**Think back to your battles. In all of your fights except the one against the gatekeeper and the baldy, you were never really trying to cut them down. When you fought the red pineapple, the pointy haired berserker and that arrogant childish captain, all you did was fight to make them see reason. When you released your bankai for the first time you immediately had Byakuya on the ropes. Why did you pull your sword away from his throat? You could have killed him then and there and you would have enough energy to actually force Sosuke Aizen into a fight instead of just getting swatted away like a bug. So why didn't you kill them?" **he told Ichigo who was looking at him with wide eyes. "**I know why. You're afraid. After you thought that you were the one that lead your mother to her grave, you became afraid, afraid of the guilt of you would feel if you kill someone. Every fight you got into after becoming a soul reaper, all you do is turn your back on your enemy mid fight and hoping that the fight won't continue. You are afraid you might become a monster if you do, aren't you, Ichigo? You're fighting with a dull blade and leaving yourself wide open, Ichigo"** White stated while almost sounding like he was scolding a child

As White said this Ichigo was looking at the ground in shame. He couldn't deny it. It was true. Ever since meeting his hollow and watching him nearly kill Byakuya made Ichigo afraid to fight, to kill. Hollows were one thing since they only act on pure instinct and most of the ones he met were mindless beasts, but soul reapers, and even arrancars were not. He didn't wanna kill anyone who he thinks can be reasoned with.

Everyone else looked in shock. They never knew this about Ichigo. They simply agreed with him about not killing because it was the right thing to do. The only exception was about the hollows since technically soul reapers do not kill hollows but instead cleanse them of their sins. However hearing this made them realize that this was not the case. Despite all his power and potention, Ichigo is still too naive for the reality they were facing.

"**Ichigo, to be perfectly honest with you, I was actually looking forward to killing Orihime today."** White spoke up again which caused everyone to widen in their eyes before glaring daggers at the hollow. "**If Zangetsu could see you right now he would be very disappointed in you, Ichigo. You have forgotten what Zangetsu told you before. 'Abandon your fear. Turn and face your enemy and keep moving forward.' Instead of heeding his words you did the exact opposite."**

"Why? Why do you want to kill Orihime? What do you have against her?" Ichigo asked curiously while his voice was still pretty weak

"**Nothing against her. I could have taken anyone hostage you know, I just chose her because even though you are so naive, she is worse than you. Not only is she naive, she is also just so damn pathetic that I just want to get rid of her." **White replied nonchalantly. "**Besides, don't you remember? You got this far in your training because one of your friends was in danger so I figured why not take another one and threaten to kill her. Although like I said Ichigo, I did want to kill her."**

Everyone immediately went on high alert and stood ready to defend Orihime. White, however just grinned evilly at them. He was taking such pleasure at the amount of discomfort he was resonating. Even without doing frightening stuff like this he knew they were uneasy because of his spiritual pressure and he was enjoying it.

"What the hell? Don't think you're gonna kill her while I'm here!" Ichigo yelled at White

**"And do you think you can stop me, Ichigo?" **White replied grinning before looking serious. "**Let me ask you something Ichigo. Are you that afraid of moving forward?"**

"I... uhh..." Ichigo tried to reply but found himself unable to form an answer. He then looked to the ground again. White was right. He is afraid of moving forward.

"**That is the reason why I wanted to kill her Ichigo. Remember when you thought you killed your mother all you did was dwell on it and even right now you are still doing it. If I had killed that girl then you would have had a choice to make. You can either dwell on it or you can live with it and move forward. If you do the first you will only make more mistakes and eventually you will get all your friends killed because of your hesitation but if you do the second, well I'll leave you to figure it out for yourself" **White said rather calmly. "**Bad things will always happen Ichigo and there is nothing you can do to stop it. This is the harsh truth and there is no exception to this whether your a human, soul reaper, quincy or a hollow. If you keep dwelling on one bad thing that happened in the past then you become a magnet, inviting more bad things."**

Everyone, Ichigo included, was just staring at White with either confused or surprised expressions on their face. Who would have thought that the monster that lives inside Ichigo would actually know more about the simplest yet most important thing in life.

There was a deafening silence for roughly thirty minutes as all of them were thinking about what the hollow said. What he said was true yet they have all forgotten about it and how they forget well not even they knew. White then decided to break the silence. "**So then Ichigo, what do you want to do? Shall we settle this now or are you in for one more surprise?" **he asked with an evil grin

* * *

Author's Notes: Well here it is. Took me a while I've had quite a few things to do these last few days. Again kindly review


	6. Chapter 5

Notes: Here is the next one. Took me a while

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

* * *

Chapter Five - Lesson Learned, I guess

**-**Urahara's Shop-

**"So then Ichigo, what do you want to do? Shall we settle this now or are you in for one more surprise?"**

**"**Like hell I am." Ichigo yelled

"**Come now, Ichigo. I promise this won't be scary like the last one."** White said mockingly

"Rukia, take Orihime back home now so she can rest." Kisuke said to Rukia

"Alright. What about Ichigo?" Rukia asked

"Yoruichi and I will stay here and keep an eye on him. I really hope the hollow doesn't go after her and I don't think it's safe for her to be here right now." replied Kisuke. Rukia then started to walk off with Orihime

"Hey wait, I'm coming with you." Renji said

"Just a moment, before you go don't tell anyone what happened here." Yoruichi said which confused the two members of the thirteen court guard squads

"I'm sure you are aware that the soul society has no love for hollowfication. This way they won't go after Ichigo. Besides at this time we cannot afford to fight among ourselves. If the soul society decides to come after Ichigo just because he has a hollow inside him then Aizen would just have won already. Just tell Captain Hitsugaya that I wanted to ask Orihime about her powers and that we tried to restore Tsubaki but to no avail." Kisuke said before the two could ask their question

"But the soul society already knows about Ichigo's hollow. So why is this any different?" Renji asked curiously

"Because this hollow actually tried to kill an ally that has a very powerful ability. If the soul society hears about this, well things could get ugly." Kisuke replied

Rukia and Renji nodded at this in understanding and walked off with Orihime. Tessai, Jinta and Ururu then decided to go back upstairs and continue with taking care of the shop

Meanwhile with Ichigo and White

"This is what you call a surprise? You nearly killed her." Ichigo raged at his hollow

"**Well come now. I did keep my word didn't I? So don't you think I am gonna keep my word Ichigo? Or do you not trust me at all?" **said White in mock sadness

This caused Ichigo to fume and growl. "Why you..."

"Alright, alright. Shall we just take a few moments to rest?" Kisuke asked both Ichigos cheerfully while clapping his hands

"Good idea. I'm kinda stressed out after what happened here and it's been a while since I've felt stressed." Yoruichi agreed

"**Come on. Was it really that scary?"** White asked mockingly

"Yeah it really was you jerk." Ichigo replied which caused White to crack up in laughter

White's maniacal laughter sent shivers down everyone's spine. After a few minutes he eventually stopped laughing and spoke up. "**Alright fine. Take a few moments to rest." **

"What was your 'surprise' anyway, White?" Ichigo asked curiously

"**Oh I just want you to control your spirit energy so you can use the Getsuga Tensho properly."** White replied nonchalantly which irritated Ichigo for obvious reasons

"What the hell do you mean I don't use it properly?" Ichigo questioned irritably

White then crouched and once again put one hand on the ground before three creatures similar to the one Ichigo fought a few minutes ago appeared. "**I want you to hit those three with a Getsuga Tensho and I want it to inflict exactly the same amount of damage."** White replied as the three went to a good distance away from the group

Ichigo then decided to get it over with and raised his sword. "Getsuga Tensho." he said as he swung down his sword. The strawberry repeated the process two more times and watched the damage he inflicted on the hollows. As expected they didn't receive the same amount. One was barely grazed, the second had slight wound on its body and the third had its arm cut off.

As Ichigo was firing getsugas, Kisuke and Yoruichi just sighed. "So much for a few minute break." Yoruichi said as she and Kisuke watched

"I know. When it comes to Ichigo, taking a break is the last thing on his mind." Kisuke replied in slight amusement

Back with Ichigo

"**You see. That is why I told you to control your spirit energy."** White said calmly. "**Hey Ichigo, try and hit me with a Getsuga Tensho."** White ordered white a grin on his face

Ichigo merely raised an eyebrow in confusion before doing what he was told. "Getsuga Tensho!" he yelled as he swung his sword down. White merely sidestepped and the getsuga missed. The process repeated a few times until White was forced to use flash step to avoid. Unfortunately when that happened it became next to impossible to hit him. White then suddenly flashed behind Ichigo.

"**Boo."** White said as Ichigo lost track of him which scared the living crap out of the strawberry. "**Hey I know, if hitting me is so much trouble, why don't you try dodging my Getsuga Tensho?**"

"Sure. Give it your best shot." Ichigo said smirking

White simply slashed down his sword in Ichigo direction. The strawberry managed to avoid it by using flash step to move to another area. Unfortunately for him the getsuga suddenly changed direction and hitting. 'What the hell?' was all he could think before the energy wave hit him.

"**You see. If you can control your spirit energy then you should be able to do that."** White said as Ichigo picked himself up

"So you want me to control my spirit energy just so I can control the Getsuga Tensho? Seems like pretty lame reason to go through all that trouble." Ichigo said as he got up

"**Well if you manage to control it then you will move at speeds that would make Yoruichi envious."** White replied at Ichigo's statement

Ichigo grinned at this while Yoruichi merely raised an eyebrow in curiousity.

"Fine then. What do I do?" Ichigo asked excitedly

"**Simple. Just destroy your combat pass."** White said which caused Ichigo to widen his eyes in shock while a sharp look passed through Kisuke and Yoruichi's faces which the strawberry missed but White picked up on. '**So, I was right about that thing.' **

**"**The Hell? How am I supposed to turn into a soul reaper if I don't have that thing?" Ichigo asked in a panicked voice

"**It's quite simple actually. Spirit Energy is spread throughout the body and your soul. In order for you to separate your soul from your body, all you have to do is drain all your spirit energy from your body and move it to your soul, when that happens you can then leave your body whenever you like."** White replied rather calmly while sparing a glance at the two former captains. **"This will also help improve your ability to detect spiritual pressure, well force you to improve anyway since you are defenseless in your human body so you really will have to learn this. Oh and there's a catch. If I take over while you are in your human body, you are not getting it back, both your human body and your soul reaper body."** he continued which caused Ichigo to panic even more

"Like hell I will. I won't do something that will cause me to just lose my body." Ichigo countered which drew a curious gaze from White

"**Seriously? How is this any different from you risking your life to save a dumbass that you only knew for like, five weeks?"**

"Well, I... It..." Ichigo mumbled as he realized it was basically the same thing

'Is that hollow seriously trying to...' Yoruichi thought worriedly

"Maybe but I don't think Ichigo will do it since Aizen has made it clear Ichigo is his enemy as well." Kisuke reassured her. 'The question is, what happens after Aizen. If that hollow realizes it, then there is a good possibility he knows the truth, or at the very least have suspicions about it.' he thought. He may have been assured about Ichigo being an ally in the fight against Aizen, but with so many secrets kept from Ichigo, even Kisuke was starting to worry what would happen if Ichigo found out about them.

"**Just think about it as saving your friends Ichigo but this time, you will be saving them from yourself. I'm not sure if you noticed but some of your classmates can already see spirits because of your massive but uncontrolled spirit energy."** White pointed out which caused Ichigo's eyes to widen in shock

"What did you say?" Ichigo said shocked with mouth agape for a few moments before continuing. "Alright. I guess I have no choice then." he said in a defeated tone

"**Don't worry about it Ichigo. Rukia is with you most of the time so you will be able to turn into a soul reaper when you need to. If a hollow shows up then just have that moron with the weird hair take care of it, I mean he is supposed to be in charge of this town so he should do his work. Once you actually managed to control your spirit energy at least that much then you will be able to control the Getsuga Tensho."** White said surprisingly reassuring before continuing. "**I will only give you only four days to do this Ichigo. After that we will fight and settle this once and for all.**" he said darkly

"Wait. If that's how you separate a soul from it's body, then how come Rukia and the others don't do it?" Ichigo questioned

"**Because they're not living humans and as such, their gigais only contain reishi and not spirit energy. Since it has no concentration of spirit energy, they need something else to force their souls out of it."** White replied

"I just realized something. Aside from us being enemies for control, why do I have to fight you anyway?" Ichigo curiously asked after a few minutes of silence

"**Because that is the only way to control an inner hollow. We fight it out in your inner world and whoever wins get control while the other one gets suppressed for the rest of his life. Also, if you win, you can also use a mask the same way that Shinji guy does. Before you ask why I would bother training you, well I have my reasons and I'm not gonna tell you."** White replied

Ichigo then sighed before destroying his combat pass. As he did so White then vanished and turn into the doll that manifested him in the first place. Ichigo then entered his human body and did as he was told. Unfortunately, it took him over an hour of concentrating to try to separate his spirit energy and he hasn't even begin moving it to his soul yet.

Hours later

Ichigo finally succeeded however it was only once. When he did manage to turn into a soul reaper, it took a lot out of him and he was panting for quite a long time. At least he now knows how to do it so he is not complaining. It was getting late so Ichigo then decided to head home to get some rest.

Meanwhile in Urahara's shop

"Kisuke, what do you think about this?" Yoruichi asked

"To be perfectly honest, I'm actually kinda worried. I'm not talking about now but about what happens after this whole Aizen mess. I think that hollow even knows what the combat pass' true purpose is." Kisuke replied

"Do you think he will turn against the soul society because of that?" Yoruichi asked in a worried tone

"I can't say for certain. I mean I have faith in Ichigo and what he desires but this is too much. I only hope that Ichigo doesn't do anything that would put us all in a bad spot but considering how the soul society sees him, that would be very unlikely. The only problem we have right now is if when that will happen." Kisuke replied in a serious tone before heading inside the shop. Yoruichi just looked at where Ichigo was for a few moments before follow Kisuke inside.

On the other side of town

Ichigo just arrived home and as usual, was greeted by a kick to the face. This annoyed the crap out of Ichigo so he slammed his old man into a wall before heading to his room and almost immediately, fell sleep.

Inside Ichigo's mind, a man in a black overcoat appeared beside White.

"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Zangetsu asked the hollow

"**I had to get his mind off thinking about me somehow otherwise he would find out that something is off between the two of us and this seems like a fine idea."** White replied as he looked at Zangetsu

"Do you think he will learn the truth?" Zangetsu asked

"**One way of the other he will. Since I told him to control his spirit energy, he is gonna have to learn how to be calm otherwise he would never succeed at it. This way he won't do anything stupid when he finds out everything."** White explained

"What about the soul society? You know how they will react to things like this and what Ichigo is to them."

"**Honestly, even I am not so sure. Ichigo is simply far too human to hold a grudge against them. That might be a good thing but considering how arrogant the soul society is, it will probably get Ichigo killed. I just hope he realizes this, especially with what is to come."**

**"**Agreed. The one thousand years is almost complete and he will make his return. When that happens, all of us, including the hollows and soul reapers will be affected by it. And you are right about the soul society, they are not even aware of where they are."

"**So it was true? That slightly odd reishi composition in some areas in the sereitei?"**

"Indeed. For the last nearly one thousand years, they have been inside the soul society the whole time."

"**Then I guess we better get Ichigo prepared for it."**

"Do you think he is gonna have to use it in this war?"

"**We shall see. I'll train him so he can use at least part of his true hollowfication. Then I'll leave him in your hands if he needs anything else. It would work out better for us if he has to resort to using it against Aizen."**

"Alright." Zangetsu said before his body disintegrated into white particles and disappearing

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Author's Notes: Yeah I just made that stuff up about turning into a soul reaper since I could not find anything that mentions how it's done. Anyway as usual kindly review.


	7. Chapter 6

Author's Notes: This one took a little longer than the last because I have had quite a few things to do these last few days. As for the reviews, I appreciate them and I assure you, all of your questions will be answered soon enough so just be patient.

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

* * *

**Chapter 6 - Recruitment Drive**

-Visored Hideout, Three Days Later-

"Hey baldy, the kid still hasn't come here yet. What's the deal?" Hiyori asked Shinji in a bored tone

"This is very strange indeed but considering Ichigo's personality, he probably thought he could deal with this on his own." Shinji muttered thoughtfully

"He's a dumbass. Is he ever gonna realize he can't do it himself?" Hiyori raged

"Why don't you go check it out Shinji?" Hacchi suggested

"Where would he be anyway? Don't tell me he is just slacking off at school?" Hiyori grumbled

"If I am gonna confront him again it won't be at school, that is if I wanna talk to him anytime soon." Shinji said which made Hiyori slap him with his sandal

"Hey what's your problem, Hiyori?" Shinji asked while nursing his cheek

"Let's just kidnap the kid and get this over with already." Hiyori shouted at Shinji's ear

"No." Shinji replied which made Hiyori try to slap him again but he caught her sandal before he was hit. "Hiyori why don't we go to Urahara's?"

"Huh? But why?" Hiyori asked confused

"I'm guessing Ichigo would be there if he is not in school. Even if he isn't I'm certain he has asked Kisuke about his hollow problem by now. Either way I wanna talk to him about Ichigo's situation. The guy does know just about everything that's going on anyway." Shinji replied seriously

"And just why the hell do I have to go with you?" Hiyori shouted again

"Well it's not like you have anything better to do plus it would be nice if I don't have to go alone." Shinji replied which caused Hiyori to fume even more but surprisingly, she did nothing

"Alright already baldy but if this is a waste of time, I'm gonna beat the hell out of you." Hiyori warned

"Then let's go." Shinij said as he got up from his chair and walked to the door

"Right now?" Hiyori asked surprised

"Why not? We're not doing anything anyway." Shinji muttered and walked out with Hiyori following after cursing for a few seconds

"My, my. Those two just enjoy arguing with each other don't they?" Love commented as the two walked out

"It certainly is not a very artistic way to talk, I might say." Rose added

"Will you just stop with all that art crap?" Love said in an annoyed voice

As Love and Rose continued bickering, Lisa was just ignoring them while still continuing to read her erotic magazine.

"Those two argue like a couple of kids now don't they." Mashiro said excitedly

"Look who's talking, you damn troublemaker." Kensei suddenly shouted at Mashiro

"Boo. Kensei is mad." Mashiro squealed before rolling on the ground. "Kensei is mad. I'm so scared. Someone help meee."

"Why you damn woman." Kensei growled

Hacchi on the other hand, just sighed at the antics of his fellow visored

Eventually, Shinji and Hiyori made it to Urahara's shop. The first thing they saw was Tessai scolding Jinta over slacking off again.

"Hey there Tessai. It's been a while. Is Kisuke here?" Shinji greeted him

"Hello there Shinji. Yes the boss is inside. Please come in." Tessai greeted him back and led the two into the shop. "Hey boss. Someone is here to see you."

"Well now, this is a surprise. Welcome to my humble shop, Shinji and Hiyori." Kisuke greeted his old colleagues before Tessai then decided to make some tea

As Tessai and the others went inside, Jinta and Ururu were observing them with curious gazes.

"So who were those two anyway?" Jinta asked nobody in particular

"Must be Mr Kisuke's old friends from the soul society." Ururu responded

"Yeah but I never even heard of them. What's more is that they're not even in their soul form they're in their gigai." Jinta said while staring at the door

"Let's ask Mr Kisuke later Jinta. We should get back to work or we'll get in trouble with Tessai again." Ururu said politely

"What's the matter with you? Tessai doesn't scare me, you got it?" Jinta yelled while pulling Ururu's hair

"What's going on here?" Tessai asked as he walked out of the shop

Jinta then paled before immediately going back to work. "Nothing Mr Tessai." he said. Tessai watched them for a few minutes before going back inside to continue making tea for the visitors

Back inside the shop

"So, what brings you here Shinji?" Kisuke asked as Tessai was setting down tea on the table

"I came here to ask you about Ichigo. Is there anything new happening with him? I asked him to come with me so we can help him but he hasn't done that." Shinji replied

"Wait, wait, wait. Isn't there a soul reaper that's living here?" Hiyori suddenly asked. "You damn baldy, you are gonna let that damn soul society know about us being here." she yelled at Shinji who just looked at her with a blank expression

"He's not here. I had a feeling you would drop by here sooner or later so I had him run some errands around town and he wont be back until evening." Kisuke answered Hiyori

"Wait, you knew we were coming?" Shinji asked surprised. "You really are one creepy guy aren't you Kisuke?"

"Well, what can I say. A boy scout is always prepared." Kisuke replied cheerfully which caused Hiyori to kick him in the face

"You might have mentioned that." Hiyori yelled

"Back on topic, is there something going on with Ichigo?" Shinji asked seriously

"Well that's kinda hard to say. Why don't you see for yourselves?" Kisuke said as he got up and went to the ladder that led to the training grounds

With Ichigo

Ichigo was kinda happy for once. He actually managed to learn how to separate his soul from his body in only two days and earlier today, he just finalized on how to do it. White was right. After learning how to separate his soul on his own, he gained enough control over his spirit energy to manipulate the getsuga tensho in one way.

Kisuke, Shinji and Hiyori then arrived at the training grounds and they saw Ichigo who was firing getsuga tenshos at some rocks. He fired one that was going straight at a rock, before he swung his sword to his right, which caused it to change direction and go around the target. He then swung his sword upward, which caused the getsuga to slice upward, cutting the rock diagonally in two.

'Not bad. I may not be able to control it the same way he does but at least I'm getting the hang of it. Soon I'm gonna do it the way he does.' Ichigo thought with optimism for once

"Hey there, Ichigo. It's been a while, or perhaps not that long." Shinji greeted him as he, Kisuke and Hiyori approached him

"Shinji? What are you doing here? And you know Kisuke? And who is that girl that's with you?" Ichigo was honestly confused at what was going on. 'Seems like White was right that Kisuke knows the visored.' he thought

"Yeah Kisuke and I are good friends. This is Hiyori, a friend of ours as well. We came here to..." Shinji answered before he was rudely interrupted

"Can it baldy." Hiyori yelled at Shinji before looking at Ichigo. "You there, carrot top, you're coming with us right now." she declared before grabbing Ichigo by his hair and dragging him

Ichigo however, was not having any of that and grabbed Hiyori by her jacket before throwing her to the ground. He then kicked her right in the stomach which sent her flying into a nearby rock.

"And just who in the hell do you think you are? A kidnapper? You must be one of the visored aren't you? If you think I'm just gonna go with you after the crap you just pulled you're sadly mistaken." Ichigo yelled at the short haired girl he just kicked

Hiyori then got up and prepared to kick Ichigo in the face. "Why you damn baldy. I SAID YOU ARE COMING WITH US!" she yelled before charging at Ichigo. The strawberry on the other hand just prepared to defend himself against the coming attack.

As Hiyori was charging, she was suddenly lifted off the ground by Shinji. "Alright that's enough Hiyori." Shinji ordered her. This did not sit well with Hiyori and instead tried to kick Shinji but Shinji just caught her foot. "I said that's enough." he repeated which caused Hiyori to fume and head upstairs

"Ichigo, I think we got off on the wrong foot when I asked you join the visored so I apologize for that." Shinji said seriously. "However, we still would like you to come with us so we can help you control your hollow."

"Uh okay. But why do I have to go with you to control it?" Ichigo asked

"Ichigo, let me ask you something. Do you know how to control an inner hollow?" Shinji asked instead of giving a direct answer

"Yeah. I fight the hollow inside my inner world and defeat him. Isn't that right?" Ichigo's answer was surprisingly on point.

'How does he know that?' Shinji thought he looked at him in surprise before continuing to ask questions. "And do you know what happens to your body while you fight inside your inner world?"

"Sleep peacefully until one of us wins?" Ichigo asked with uncertainty

"No. You're body actually transforms into a hollow and will act on pure instinct. As such it will do what most hollows usually do and that is to destroy everything in sight." Shinji replied

His answer however left Ichigo speechless before the strawberry growled

"**Hey don't blame me. I said I will give you a chance to try and control my power. I never said anything about not destroying this town."** White commented cheekily inside Ichigo's head which only infuriated the teen further

'Why you.' Ichigo thought before replying to Shinji. "And why do I have to come with you? Can't Kisuke just do something to seal my body or something? What evidence do I have that you're not just gonna use me to your own ends?" Ichigo asked which surprised Kisuke as usually he would have just believed right away

There was silence for a few minutes before Shinji looked at Kisuke, who simply nodded back at him

"Ichigo, you may think that we visored are some power hungry soul reapers who decided to try and gain hollow powers and I cannot blame you for thinking so. However the truth is all of us were once members of the thirteen court guard squads." Shinji told him seriously

"Wait, what did you say? If that's the case then how come you are in the world of the living?" Ichigo asked surprised

"Years ago there was an incident that was happening in the rukongai district. We who make up the visored were asked to investigate what had happened at that was when it all began. Upon arriving at the area we became victims to a hollowfication experiment conducted by none other than Sosuke Aizen. I'm sure you have heard of that guy before." Shinji answered

"Yeah I even met him once at Sokyoku Hill. So how did you end up here?" Ichigo asked, now fully invested in Shinji's story

"After we began hollowfying, Kisuke and Tessai arrived at the location we were in although they were too late to stop Sosuke they were able to temporarily halt the hollowfication process. Not long after that, Kisuke and Tessai were arrested and ordered to be executed while we were to be disposed of as hollows however Yoruichi came and saved us and brought us to their training grounds. Soon enough, Kisuke tried to stop our hollowfication using the hogyoku however it was only partially successful. While it did not get rid of the hollows that were forced upon us, it did allow us not to lose our sanity and we had to figure out on our own how to control our hollows. After that, Kisuke then made stealth gigais for the eleven of us and we exiled ourselves from the soul society." Shinji finished his story

"What? How could they just order you to be executed like that?" Ichigo asked with disbelief in his tone which wasn't surprising

"That isn't important Ichigo. And I take back what I said about you joining us." Shinji replied which drew a curious gaze from the strawberry. "Just let us help you control your hollow and use its powers, then you can do whatever you want. As I said earlier, I cannot blame you for not trusting us but we just want to help a fellow out and not lose a potential comrade. I'm sure you can understand that."

After a few minutes of thinking about it Ichigo finally answered. "Well okay I guess but I already had plans to fight my hollow tomorrow."

"That's fine with us as long as you at least give us a chance." Shinji replied

"Alright but how do I find where you guys stay anyway?" Ichigo asked seriously

"Just follow my spiritual pressure Ichigo. It's faint but it should still be enough for you to follow." Shinji answered his question before continuing. "We will expect you around noon Ichigo. If you get lost then I will come and find you but at least make an effort to find our hideout okay? We can't exert too much spiritual pressure otherwise the soul society would locate us, we are still wanted after all. We also ask that you not reveal our existence to your soul reaper friends."

"Alright. Thanks Shinji." Ichigo stated

Shinji just nodded at him before heading upstairs with Kisuke while Ichigo decided to practice improving his flash step

"We're done here Hiyori. Let's go back." he told Hiyori who was sitting down by the table

"What about the kid?" Hiyori asked rather calmly

"He'll come tomorrow." Shinji simply replied. "Thanks for your time Kisuke." he said before walking out the door with Hiyori following him as Kisuke and Tessai waved them off

Inside Ichigo's mind as Shinji was explaining the visored's story

"**Well, well. Seems like the soul society is more despicable than I thought."** White mused

"Indeed. The soul society's arrogance is truly something else. I would say that if the soul society ends up victorious against Aizen, they will give Kisuke Urahara and the others a pardon even though they did nothing wrong." Zangetsu stated as he appeared beside White

"**I know right. It's actually pretty pathetic. They just wanna make themselves look benevolent while ordering executions to anyone they dislike. Even I feel almost sad for those visored clowns."**

"I have to agree. The soul society is under the delusion that anyone who is not a soul reaper or human has no right to live. The only logical reason they let Ichigo's quincy friend live is probably nothing more as an ally in this fight."

"**Yeah. It's really annoying how Aizen made Ichigo as his enemy. It would be a lot more satisfying to slaughter the soul society instead. The soul society does not deserve to win this fight against Aizen."**

"While it is true they do not deserve to win, if you did that then the most likely outcome would be Aizen destroying everything."

"**I wouldn't be too sure about that, then again Aizen is not someone who is easy to read, and even if he was I doubt what we read would be his true goals."** White grumbled. "**At the very least Ichigo should not have made the soul society as his allies. It really pisses me off."**

"Just be patient. The time to act against them will come soon enough." Zangetsu replied. "So tomorrow's the day right?"

"**Yeah. Might as well get this over with. I really hope Ichigo gets this hollowfication thing in time otherwise I am really gonna have to take over."**

"I also hope that Ichigo's opinion of the soul society does not change. He already had a low opinion about them when they wanted to execute Rukia and I can tell it just dropped as how they wanted to kill their own captains. It also does not sit well with me on how the soul society thinks of Ichigo and what they are planning to do."

"**Agreed. Seems like it really was the right call when you did what you did back then. The only thing we can do now is wait and hope Ichigo thinks about what is best for him, for once." **White said as the both of them watched Ichigo practice his flash steps

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Author's Notes: There you have it. Again kindly review. Also to everyone reading, merry christmas and happy holidays


	8. Chapter 7

Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews. I appreciate them. Now I was asked if I would put stuff from Brave Souls. I won't do it since I don't play the game and I am not really into mobile gaming. So here is the next chapter.

Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

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**Chapter Seven - New Friends**

-The next day-

Ichigo was wandering on another part of town, trying to find Shinji and the rest of the visored. For the moment, he is walking in an alleyway with warehouses on both sides. "Where the hell are they? His spiritual pressure leads here but he's nowhere in sight. Damn it all I knew I should have just had Kisuke seal my body or something." Ichigo grumbled while looking around

A few minutes later, Ichigo heard a set of footsteps heading towards him. He turned and saw Shinji walking towards him. "Yo Ichigo. So there you are. I was wondering if you'd ever find our hideout." he greeted as he approached

"Yeah well I did manage to track you down here but then I couldn't find you and it just disappeared as soon as I got too close." Ichigo said as he waved his hand. "So where is your place anyway?"

"It's right over there. Come on. Let's go in." Shinji replied as he pointed to a warehouse that was a bit larger than the others before walking towards it

"So, how many of you are there anyway?" Ichigo curiously asked as they arrived in front of the warehouse

"Eight of us. Four former captains and the others are lieutenants." Shinji answered before an orange barrier covering the warehouse appeared. The barrier then created an opening that was large enough for the two to enter before promptly closing and vanishing from sight

"No wonder I couldn't pin point this place. There's a barrier around it." Ichigo commented

"Yeah. It actually helps hide our presences here. I mean we can hide our spiritual pressure but it's always better to be safe than sorry." Shinji replied as they walked inside. "We're here."

"About damn time baldy." Hiyori grumbled to the two

What Ichigo saw inside really made him want to facepalm. First, there was a guy with a really weird hairstyle that was in the shape of a star who was bickering with a blonde guy, and another guy was yelling at a green haired girl who was squealing while rolling at the ground. 'Jeez. What the hell is up these guys anyway? Are they really the visored? Then again most of the current soul reaper captains are not that different from them.' Ichigo thought

"So Shinji, when do we start?" Ichigo asked after a few minutes of observation

"Actually Ichigo, we won't be able to begin to help you." Shinji responded in a serious tone

"What the hell? You said you were gonna help and now you back out?" Ichigo said in a panicked voice

"We are not backing out Ichigo, it's just that we cannot begin anytime soon. You see, none of us have had anything to eat all day and we're starving." Shinji answered him.

His answer however, caused Ichigo to drop to the floor and almost fainted from the kind of answer he received. "Then go make something to eat already if you're so damn hungry." Ichigo complained

"There won't be any need for that. We sent two of our guys to buy some food, or haven't you noticed that there are only six of us here?" Shinji asked

"I thought they were somewhere else in the warehouse cooking some food." Ichigo mumbled

"Just take it easy Ichigo. We will begin soon but for now, why don't you get acquainted with everyone? I even had them buy some extra food for you so just relax and don't worry. It won't take that long to control your hollow anyway." Shinji assured him.

Ichigo just stared at Shinji with a blank expression before sighing and going to the others.

"Where are Lisa and Hacchi with lunch? Hiyori, lunch is late again and I'm starving, make something to eat." Shinji muttered a few minutes later as he was laying on a couch

Hiyori, on the other hand, was simply sitting against a stack of crates while for some reason, was picking her tooth. "Yeah dream on. You'll starve to death waiting for me to cook and even if I did cook a meal, I wouldn't let you have any, dumbass."

"Lunch sure is late." Shinji grumbled again

"Stop talking about it. You're only making us more hungry than we already are." Hiyori chided him

At that point, the door to the warehouse opened and two people walked in, one a very large man, and the other a girl that looks like she's wearing a school uniform. "Lunch is here." the man said

"About time. What took you so long?" Shinji asked

"There was a magazine I saw in a shop on the way back and it was on sale so I just had to get it. Unfortunately there was a very long line." Lisa replied as she and Hacchi began distributing the food

"Seriously? What the hell is wrong with you Lisa?" Hiyori shouted as she got her food

"Now, now. No need to fight. Let's just eat our lunch now." Hacchi said before the two broke out into a fight before noticing something in the corner of his eye. "It seems our guest has arrived. You must be Ichigo Kurosaki right? The name's Hachigen Ushoda but you can call me Hacchi for short."

"Yeah that's me alright. Nice to meet you." Ichigo replied

"Whatever. Just come over here and get your food already. Shinji had us buy extra for you." Lisa stated which made the orange haired soul reaper walk to her

"What type of magazine did you want to buy so badly anyway?" Ichigo asked curiously as he received his food

"Oh, this one. Have a look for yourself." Lisa answered as she handed him a bag

When Ichigo saw it however, his face became red and his ears was smoking, before he had a nosebleed and fell to the ground and appeared to faint. Luckily his food has some foil on it which caused it not to spill on the floor. The type of magazine that Lisa bought: an erotic magazine, and she bought a whole bunch of them

"What just happened?" Love asked as everyone saw Ichigo fall to the ground

Lisa then grabbed the bag she handed to Ichigo and raised it to show what she bought. "He saw what I bought and then fainted. I wonder, is Ichigo gay?"

As Lisa said that, everyone except for Hacchi laughed real hard for quite a while before Ichigo regained conciousness and all of them began to eat

About an hour later, everyone was rested and already had something to eat and now are ready to help Ichigo control his hollow. "Hey Ichigo, so are you ready?" Shinji asked him

"Yeah I am." Ichigo responded before a thought crossed his mind. "Wait a minute, where we gonna do this anyway? This warehouse doesn't seem like the area to do some fighting."

Shinji then grinned before stepping on a specific spot on the floor. It then rose which revealed a hidden stairwell that led to an underground training area not unlike the one at Urahara shop. "It's down here. All right, let's go everyone."

"Hey Ichigo, before anything there is something you need to know." Shinji said which got Ichigo's attention. "We will not wait forever for you to finish your fight with your hollow. Each of us except for Hacchi will rotate every ten minutes to keep your hollow busy while you fight it which gives you seventy minutes to defeat it. However, based on what Kisuke told me about you, you already achieved bankai in a span of less than a month so I am gonna give you an extra ten minutes. I will take the first and last turn. If after eighty minutes you still haven't defeated it, we will assume you have been defeated and kill you, alright?" Shinji stated seriously

"Yeah sounds like a reasonable time to me." Ichigo replied, completely unfazed despite the fact that Shinji just told him they might kill him. "By the way, why won't Hacchi fight?" he asked as they arrived down the stairwell

"Because he will be the one to setup and maintain the barriers around this place." Shinji replied. "So Ichigo, do you need help entering your inner world or can you do it yourself?"

"Nahh, I can do it myself." Ichigo answered before he separated his soul from his body. "Hey can you keep this away from here? I don't wanna get it caught up during the fighting." Ichigo asked

"Yeah yeah. I'll do it." Love said as he picked up Ichigo's body and moved it to another part of the area

Ichigo then sat on the ground for a few moments before losing conciousness as he entered his inner world. "Hey Hacchi, set up a three layered force field around the warehouse and seal off Ichigo's body as well." Shinji ordered

"As you wish." Hacchi replied before snapping his fingers which caused more barriers to appear around the warehouse before summoning a Gochutekkan with full incantation along with creating another barrier around Ichigo

Inside Ichigo's inner world

"**Hey, it's been a while, Ichigo. So, are you ready to settle this once and for all?"** White asked with a grin

"I am. Let's get this over with." Ichigo declared before grabbing his sword and charging at White

Outside Ichigo's body

As Ichigo began to fight, his body released slight shockwaves which alerted the visored to his inner activites

"Alright here it comes. Hacchi, open up the barrier now." Shinji ordered to which Hacchi nodded as he snapped his fingers which caused a small doorway to appear on the barrier around Ichigo

Inside Ichigo's inner world

Both fighters were in a sword lock, before pushing each other away. Ichigo then flashed to White and attempted to slash him across his back, but White just sidestepped which caused Ichigo to miss before grabbing Ichigo by his the back of his neck and throwing him into the buildings below.

"**What's wrong Ichigo? I expected more. Here I went to all the trouble to prepare you for this and this is all you show? You really are a disappointment."** White said in mock sadness

Ichigo then got up from the rubble and dusted himself before glaring at the hollow. "Hey I have a question for you. You once said that you and Zangetsu were one and the same, so does that mean that if I defeat you here, then Zangetsu will once again become the center of my spirit energy?"

**"That makes sense, in theory. But you won't win."**

"Is that right?" Ichigo said before going into bankai release stance. "Don't be so sure about that. I wonder how confident you'll be after you see this."

"**You just don't understand do you? It's not like you might beat me, you can't beat me." **White replied with a massive grin as he did the same stance stance which caused the strawberry's eyes to widen in shock

The both of them stayed in bankai release stance for a few moments while staring at each other before finally

"Ban **Kai!"**

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Author's Notes: Well, there you have it. I hope you enjoy it. The next one will be the continuation of the fight of the two. Anyway, kindly review


	9. Chapter 8

Author's Notes: Well here is the next chapter and to be honest I was actually excited in writing this one so I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach

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**Chapter 8 - Settling a Score**

"Ban **Kai"**

As soon as they released their bankais, the two of them just stood there staring each other. As if mentally communicating, the both of them then flashed towards each other and ended up in another sword lock. "Bastard. Now tell me where in the hell you learned to use bankai like this?"

White just gave his signature eerie laugh before pushing Ichigo away. "**Isn't it obvious I learned it the same time you did."** he replied. "**Ichigo, did it really not occur to you that I can use bankai? Remember, when you came here on your own the first time, did you really not see me having a sword on my back? Or about the time when you were in Urahara Shop?"**

At his response, Ichigo just glared while his hollow just grinned. Suddenly, White just vanished from Ichigo's sight before appearing behind and attempted to slash him. Ichigo barely managed to dodge the slash but part of his robe was cut.

"**You really are naive aren't you Ichigo? You thought that just because I'm a hollow I could not use bankai didn't you?" **White said in a mocking voice.

"Yeah I did think that. Still, it doesn't explain how in the hell you know how to use it." Ichigo muttered as he regained his footing from White's attack

"**You seem to have misunderstood something very simple Ichigo."** White calmly said before blocking an attack from Ichigo, who charged at him when he was talking. "**And that is the difference between our powers, is as wide as the gap between heaven and earth." **he continued before pushing Ichigo away

"Oh yeah? Then prove it." Ichigo yelled as he once again charged at the hollow and the both of them ended up in another sword lock

With the Visored

It has been almost twenty minutes since Ichigo began his internal battle. Shinji had taken the first turn and Hiyori took the second before anyone can object. Right now Hiyori's turn was almost over

"Hey, Lisa, Mashiro..." Shinji said getting the attention of the two girls. "The two of you should take the next turns."

"Uh ok, but why, Shinji?" Mashiro asked curiously

"Ichigo's hollow is strong, very strong, and as this battle goes on it's still gonna get stronger, I think it would be safer if you two go first just to be safe otherwise you might end up getting hurt if you fight him later." Shinji explained

Lisa was quite irritated at the decision to fight so early. "Come on Shinji. I'm just getting to the good stuff and you want me to fight already?" she grumbled while waving her new magazine

"Just take it easy Lisa. I'll hold these magazines for you." Love said as he too wanted to read it

"Alright, fine then." Lisa said before getting up and waiting for Hiyori to finish up

Ichigo's Inner World

Both of them are still in a sword lock and pushed each other away. Ichigo immediately went on the offensive and flashed to White, attempting to slash him multiple times. White however, just dodged every single one with almost zero effort. He then flashed behind Ichigo and cut him across the back of his shoulder, which sent Ichigo skidding away.

'Damn. This guy is fast. Even with all the practice I did I still can't keep up with him.' Ichigo thought before attempting another offensive

White on the other hand, just grinned at Ichigo's attempts to cut him. He then grabbed the chain on his sword and pulled it out, revealing a white chain that seems to be infinite in length which greatly surprised Ichigo. As Ichigo was charging, White threw one end of the chain at Ichigo's direction which wrapped around the substitute soul reaper, before throwing him down to the buildings below

"What the hell? Since when can my bankai do that?" Ichigo grumbled as the dust cleared. His eyes however then widened as he saw White coming at him in an attempt to run him through. Ichigo barely managed to dodge the attack by rolling to the side before immediately getting up and moving back a good distance away

"**I think the more accurate question is, since when do you know anything about your bankai?"** White said. "**I'll answer that for you, you don't. When you achieved bankai, all you did was immediately take it to a fight and even after said fight you never even bothered to learn anything about it. You're pathetic, Ichigo."**

Ichigo just stood there staring at his hollow. Once again, his hollow was on point. He then appeared to be contemplating hard about the choices he made as well as the fears he had, the fear that his hollow mentioned about turning into a monster. 'He's right. I wanted bankai only to save Rukia. I was afraid, that if I try to get stronger then the power I get would corrupt me. I never tried to learn anything about my power or about Zangetsu for that matter.' His thoughts however, was interrupted when he heard White talk again

"**Ichigo, this is a lesson you need to take to heart. Life is about learning. There will always be something new for you to learn, whether it is as simple as which part of the ground you will step to complicated things such as science or research and despite the fact that most of the simplest things are overlooked, it still holds true. Another fact about life is it is always changing which results in more things you can learn and forces every living creature to adapt, otherwise they will suffer and perish. Those who are arrogant and complacent enough to believe that they now everything or have learned enough will one way or the other, end up getting themselves killed, not because of outside interference but because of their own ignorance to change. So what relevance does this have with you, you might wonder? Either way this is something you need to learn, and also, this is what Zangetsu meant. I know why you didn't want to learn about your bankai Ichigo. You were afraid that if you were to get stronger than you already are then that power would cause you to go mad. Well, this is why you abandon your fears otherwise you will rot as you will not be able to adapt to the harsh world we live in. Always be humble enough to understand that there is always something you do not know."** White explained as Ichigo listened to him intently

Ichigo just stood there in utter confusion. Not about what the hollow was saying but about his actions. This was now the second time he taught Ichigo something valuable and he had no clue as to why he was doing it. After a few moments of silence with the both of them just looking at each other, Ichigo grinned before black spiritual energy engulfed his blade. "So you wanted me to learn huh? Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo yelled as he slashed his sword, causing a massive energy wave to rush towards his hollow

White just raised an eyebrow at the sudden attack, before raising one hand to catch the getsuga then forcing it to dissipate. That attack however, was just a ruse to block White's vision as he was then forced to duck when Ichigo appeared behind him and attempted to cut off his head. White decided to back kick Ichigo which sent him a good distance away before flashing towards him. Ichigo was forced to parry his attack as he was given no chance to dodge. "**Getsuga Tensho."** White calmly stated before a huge bubble of white energy erupted from his blade and a large explosion took place

With the Visored

By now, four of them have taken turns to keep Ichigo's hollowfied body busy while he fought his inner hollow. The four of those being Shinji, Hiyori, Lisa and Mashiro. Right now, it was Love who was fighting the hollowfied creature and his turn just started

'Damn, just how strong is this thing.' Love wondered as he dodged a slash from Ichigo. Almost immediately into his turn, he was forced to put on his hollow mask due to the intense amount of spiritual pressure Ichigo emitted and even with his mask on, he was being pushed back and forced on the defensive with no openings to go on an attack. And with every attack from Ichigo, the barrier around him cracked, forcing Hacchi to immediately erect a new one.

His eyes then widened when a strange wormlike creature appeared from Ichigo's hand with the clear intent of devouring him before he was engulfed. Love then fired a cero to break free from the creatures mouth before seeing that Ichigo has now fully hollowfied, with his spiritual pressure still rising.

'Damn, Ichigo. Just what in the hell are you doing. We are just about getting slaughtered out here.' Shinji thought as he spared a glance at the three girls who were resting, each of them completely worn out

Back with Ichigo

"**You're not good enough, Ichigo. Didn't you notice? I was the first to use getsuga tensho after we released our bankai. And you, all you did was watch my technique. You tried to imitate me and failed miserably. You're incompetent, but you know that don't you?" **White mocked as the smoke cleared.

Ichigo just stood there from where he was hit, bleeding profusely and his robes were now torn. 'Damn. At this rate, I'm never gonna defeat him. What was it he said? There is always something to learn.' he thought before engulfing his blade in another getsuga. However instead of releasing it, he flashed to the hollow and tried to cut him down yet again

As Ichigo was engulfing his blade, White mocked him. "**You must be really desperate if you think you can defeat me after a number of failed offensives or by using my own technique."** he then raised his eyebrows in curiousity as Ichigo did not release it and was now using his flash steps and tried to cut him down with a getsuga enhanced sword strike.

'**Well, what do you know? Someone is getting creative.' **White thought as he dodged every single one of Ichigo's attacks with a shocked expression on his face. After a few slashes, White just grabbed Ichigo's blade which caused his eyes to widen in horror as the getsuga dissipated. "**Thought I'd make you think you can actually defeat me with something like that although, I have to commend you. I never thought you would actually learn anything that quickly."** the hollow said before Ichigo's blade changed color from black to white starting from where he grabbed it. With a simple crushing motion, Ichigo's sword then began to dissipate into thin air

Ichigo was in utter shock as what he thought was a brilliant idea was crushed without any effort. 'What the hell? How did he do that?' he wondered right before a hand suddenly gripped his face and he was thrown into another building, yet again

"**I must admit it never ceases to amaze me how brainless you can be. You've lost your weapon, why are you just standing there? Ichigo, what's the difference between a king and his horse?" **White asked as he began to twirl his sword by the chain at its end

"What the hell are you saying?"

**"And I'm not talking about obvious stuff, like one's an animal and one's a person, or one has two legs and one has four. Form, ability and power. That's what's puzzling. If their form, ability and power are exactly the same, why is it that one becomes the king and leads them into battle, while the other becomes the horse and carries the king? So what's the characteristic that distinguishes these two beings?" **White asked in a rather loud voice. "**There's only one answer: Instinct. In order for identical beings to get stronger and gain power, they must develop a killer instinct, and that instinct is mostly forged in battle. They must develop and insatiable hunger to engage in battle. They must live to mercilessly crush, shred and slice their enemies. This thirst for power is not an unnatural desire. In fact it forms the very essence of our beings. Deep inside our body lies the honed instinct to dominate and slaughter our enemies. My friend, you don't have that. You use your brain to try and win a fight. You attempt to defeat your enemies with reason and logic. You don't tap into those pure, base instinct that exists within your core, waiting to be released. And the simple matter is it doesn't work your weak, Ichigo." ** he said before throwing his sword at Ichigo, hitting him right in the stomach. "**I won't put up with that, am I clear? I refuse to play horse to a king who's weaker than me. Someone who's uncertainty and hesitation, will end up getting us both cut to pieces. I'm sure even you can understand Ichigo, that a king who does not have to will to fight for his kingdom, has no right to wear the crown. If you aren't willing to assert your strength, then I'll destroy you, which means, I'll be king." **he finished as he began walking towards Ichigo

As Ichigo was stabbed, he began to have flashbacks to all of his battles up to this moment, as well as when his hollow trained him at Urahara's. By the time White grabbed his sword and attempted to pull it out, he realized something. 'So that's what you were talking about.' he thought before grabbing the sword in his stomach by the blade and caused it to change colors from white to black

The hollow widened his eyes at this and lept back from Ichigo. '**The sword changed colors? Seems he finally managed to figure it out.' **he thought as he looked at Ichigo with a surprised expression but inside, he was actually quite happy about it

"Now I get it. You talked about learning as well as about moving forward, but those were never what you meant was it? What you really wanted me to learn was about adaptability. The spiritual world is much harsher than the human one and if I continue to act like a living human, then I am gonna get killed. So you want me to find my own instincts in order to adapt. Isn't that right?" Ichigo said as he pulled out the sword that was in his stomach before charging at his hollow

White just maintained a surprised expression on his face as Ichigo charged at him again. Truthfully, he could dodge the incoming attack rather easily, and even without his weapon, he was still more than strong enough to defeat Ichigo then and there however, he just stood there and let Ichigo run him through.

As Ichigo stabbed him, White's robes then began to change colors to black and he began to vanish into thin air. "**Damn. What do you know. I guess I must have been wrong about you. You actually managed to figure it out and I guess you do have some killer instinct after all. Fine you defeated me. You have won the fight for now. I guess I've no choice, I'll have to accept you as the king. Just a few things before I go, learn how to manipulate the getsuga tensho, you'll need it. Also, remember what I told you, don't trust the soul society and don't tell anyone about what we talked about. I'll have Zangetsu explain this to you when the time comes. And above all, don't get yourself killed before we meet again." **White yelled at the last part as another explosion took place and forced Ichigo out of his inner world

With the Visored

It had been fifty eight minutes and forty four seconds since Ichigo began his inner battle. Right now, it was Rose who was fighting off Ichigo, and just like Love, he was forced on the defensive even with his mask on. Suddenly, the hollow stopped its attacks and blood began coming out from its arms before what appeared to be screaming in pain.

Hiyori widened its eyes as the hollow appeared to self destruct. "Hacchi, get Rose out of the barrier, NOW!" she ordered as she realized that Ichigo had won his inner battle

Hacchi then complied and created an opening which allowed Rose to step out just an instant before an explosion took place.

Once the smoke cleared, the hollow parts of Ichigo's body then cracked and fell off him, shattering like glass upon hitting the ground, the only thing that was left was the hollow mask which remained at his face. Ichigo was then forced on his knees from the strain of his battle, using his sword as support. Seconds later, Hacchi then dispelled the barrier around him.

"So, how do you feel?" Shinji asked as he approached Ichigo

"Fine. Not bad at all." Ichigo grinned at Shinji

"Very good." Shinji grinned back

"No fair!" Mashiro yelled after Shinji and Ichigo's little chat. "Kensei hasn't fought the hollow while all of us did!" she grumbled childishly before she started rolling on the ground

"Will you just shut up you damn troublemaker? At least the guy can rest now." Kensei yelled back

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Notes: There you have it. This is my take on the fight between Ichigo and his hollow. Starting next chapter I am gonna do some major time skips so everything in between them will happen the same way they did in the canon. Again kindly review


	10. Chapter 9

A.N.: Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. And thanks for the follows and favorites guys.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach

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-Visored Hideout, One Month Later-

It has been a little over a month since Ichigo fought his inner hollow, since then he has been staying with the visored as they were helping him maintain his hollow mask for long periods of time. He was able to maintain his mask for over a minute on his first try and along with the fact that he defeated his hollow in less time than any of them, the visored were in complete shock. However, Ichigo also annoyed them, especially Hiyori, as most of the time, instead of training to maintain his mask, he was instead training on how to fight using his Shikai and only resorting to bankai or hollowfication when absolutely necessary.

It was noon time right now. Ichigo and the other visored were in the underground training area. "We're having okonomiyaki for lunch today. It'll be all gone if you don't hurry." Hiyori yelled cheerfully, which was unusual for her, as she finished cooking.

The other visored immediately rushed to grab a bite. Ichigo on the other hand, looked like he was not into the food. "What's wrong? Don't you like okonomiyaki?" Shinji asked as he noticed the expression on Ichigo's face

"Well, I like it, but I was hoping to have some rice today." Ichigo answered

"I made some rice too, here." Hiyori said as she brought up a bucket of rice

"But I thought we were having okonomiyaki?" Ichigo asked surprised

"That's right. We're having okonomiyaki and rice." Shinji answered

"But the flour on the okonomiyaki and the starch in the rice is carb heavy." Ichigo protested

"It's healthy." the visored simultaneously yelled while holding up their plates

Ichigo was now annoyed at the visored's choice of diet and their tolerance to it. "Like hell it is. This is too much carb for..." he yelled back at them but was cut off when a massive spike of spiritual pressure suddenly hit them. "It's them." Ichigo muttered as he looked at the direction the pressure came from. He then grabbed his sword before heading for the warehouse exit

The others looked at him in shock. "Hey where do you think you're going baldy?" Hiyori yelled

"Where do you think? I'm going after the arrancars of course." Ichigo yelled back

"This is why the soul reapers are stationed here Ichigo, so the can deal with threats like this. Besides, it's not a good idea to go fighting on an empty stomach." Shinji muttered as he continued eating his food

This caused Ichigo to stop moving and look back at where the visored were eating. "You're right." Ichigo said before flashing to them and grabbing a few okonomiyaki and eating them as if his life depended on it then running back to the exit

"What the hell strawberry?" Mashiro yelled as nearly half of the remaining food was taken by Ichigo. However she got no reply as Ichigo was already at the entrance.

"Guess we'll just have to cook some more food then." Love mumbled as Hiyori began to find some food to cook

To everyone's surprise, Shinji then finished up eating and started walking to the door. "Where are you going Shinji?" Hacchi asked curiously

"I'm gonna keep an eye on Ichigo. Something tells me he is about to do something stupid." Shinji replied before grabbing his zanpakuto and going to the exit himself

Above Karakura Town

Ichigo felt that the arrancars arrived at the park. He also felt that one of them immediately split up from the rest and he knew who it was: Grimmjow. The one person he wanted to fight right now. As Ichigo was racing through the air above the town, he exerted his spiritual pressure, drawing Grimmjow to his location.

Soon enough they met. "Hey, I've been looking for you, soul reaper." Grimmjow greeted him

"And I've been waiting for you. It's taken me some time, but now I'm ready to show you what I've learned since the last time we met." Ichigo greeted him back as he grabbed his sword. "I've got a question for you, Grimmjow. What happened to that arm of yours?"

"Oh I got rid of it." Grimmjow replied, earning a curious gaze from the substitute soul reaper. "Because I'm only gonna need one arm to kill you."

"Is that right? In that case, I don't have to hold back." Ichigo said as he began raising his spiritual pressure

"If you do, then you'll just die faster." Grimmjow answered as he mimicked Ichigo's actions

Ichigo suddenly vanished from sight and reappeared at Grimmjow's left side, attempting to slash him. Grimmjow was caught off guard at Ichigo's speed and was forced to draw his sword in order to block. Ichigo didn't give him a moment's reprieve and kicked him right above his hollow hole send him skidding away. The kick however, did cause some slight damage to Ichigo because of the arrancar's hierro. Ichigo then immediately slashed the air, releasing a getsuga tensho which hit Grimmjow.

"Damn you. It's only been a month. What the hell did you do to yourself?" Grimmjow yelled angrily as he suffered slight wounds

"Sorry, but I don't have time to explain it to you." Ichigo answered him before releasing another getsuga tensho. This time however, Grimmjow put up his hand and fired a cero, creating a huge explosion as the attacks collided

The smoke from the explosion was taking its sweet time to dissipate and both fighters' vision was blocked. Grimmjow then decided he had enough waiting, grabbed his sword and swung it, creating a shockwave which cleared the smoke. Both of them flashed towards each other and locked swords. This time it was Ichigo who got kicked down to the ground. Ichigo immediately got up and dodged a cero that Grimmjow fired. Grimmjow then charged at him and the two began to slash and dodge at each other to no luck. After a while of sword fighting, both of them ended up in another sword lock before Grimmjow headbutted Ichigo, sending him skidding away and knocked on the ground. He then threw his sword at Ichigo's head, but the strawberry was able to dodge and immediately regained his composure. Suddenly

"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren." Rukia yelled from out of nowhere and trapped Grimmjow in a sheet of ice. "You fool. Why haven't you used your bankai yet? Do you think this is an enemy you can defeat with Shikai alone?" Rukia started firing questions at Ichigo who simply looked at her with a blank expression

"What in the hell are you doing here, Rukia? Shouldn't you be somewhere else?" Ichigo asked nonchalantly

This earned him a kick to the face from Rukia. "What is wrong with you? I even came here just to save your miserable ass." she yelled before calming down. "I actually came from the soul society. I had some things I had to do there when.."

As Rukia was explaining things, the ice began to crack and soon enough Grimmjow broke free. He then immediately put his hand on Rukia's head and threw her face first into the ground. "Don't underestimate me, soul reaper. Did you think that you could kill me by freezing me under a thin sheet of ice? You're an idiot!" he yelled as he kicked Rukia, sending her flying through several buildings

"You bastard. BanKai." Ichigo furiously said when Rukia was kicked in the stomach which drew Grimmjow's attention to him. Unfortunately from Grimmjow, when Ichigo released his bankai, he began moving at extremely fast speeds, almost twice as fast as he was moving earlier. This forced Grimmjow to be completely on the defensive with no chance to counter attack. Ichigo then borrowed a trick from White and grabbed the chain on his sword and throwing it at Grimmjow, who was then bound on the ground. 'Good thing I decided to learn about how that works.' Ichigo thought

"What the hell is this?" Grimmjow yelled as he tried to break free before his eyes widened as a getsuga tensho was headed his way and he had no way to dodge or even block. "Damn you. Now I'm really gonna kill you." Grimmjow yelled, bleeding profusely with the chain now broken and began running towards Ichigo. "Now Grind..." but before he can release his resurreccion, someone grabbed the hilt of his sword, effectively stopping him from doing so. "Ulquiorra." he said when he realized who stopped him

"That's enough. We've completed our mission. We're leaving." Ulquiorra stated emotionlessly before a negacion appeared

'So this attack was a distraction? What the hell were they up to?' Ichigo realized as they disappeared into the garganta before flashing over to where Rukia is and found her laying in a pool of her own blood. "Hey Shinji." Ichigo said as he examined Rukia's injured form. Somehow Rukia was pierced by a piece of metal through her abdomen. Most likely when she was sent flying away she crashed into a streetlight or something. However it happened, Ichigo didn't care. "I know you're there Shinji. Just come out already." Ichigo said when nothing happened when he called out the first time

"I'm here Ichigo. What do you want?" Shinji replied walking towards him. He was actually surprised that Ichigo managed to severely wound an arrancar without using his mask. He didn't even know if any of them can do it themselves

"Can you guys do anything to help Rukia? I know you hate soul reapers and all but please, just as long as she doesn't die." Ichigo asked in a very worried voice

"Not really. Hacchi is not really a healer and none of us are particularly good at kaido. If we try anything recklessly we might injure her even more. The least we can do is close up those wounds of hers." Shinji replied

"Alright. Thank you Shinji." Ichigo said, grateful for the help Shinji was willing to give.

Later at the visored's hideout, Rukia was being tended to by Hacchi. While all of them were not particularly happy with it, they made no objections as it was for Ichigo's sake, with the exception for Hiyori of course until Shinji forced her to calm down. As soon as they were finished with Rukia, Ichigo thanked them and headed home and set her in his closet to rest. As soon as he finished with that he went to find Renji to inform him of what happened to Rukia before heading home again to get some rest himself.

Rukia woke up the next day and found herself completely healed. Even the wound from that metal was back to normal in a single night, which shouldn't have been possible. "Hey Ichigo." she yelled, opening the door to the closet and getting Ichigo's attention.

Ichigo grumbled about being woken up and looked at the closet. "What? Rukia? You're all healed?"

"Yeah I am. Did you call Orihime last night?" she asked

Ichigo shook his head and the both of them realized something. Immediately, Ichigo separated his soul from his body and both him and Rukia rushed to Orihime's place. When they arrived, Toshiro's team was in the middle of a meeting with the head captain and they caught the end of his sentence. "... has gone missing from the precipice world." Yamamoto said

"What? Missing? Has she been abducted?" Ichigo yelled as he barged into the room and grabbed everyone's attention

"It is the only explanation. As Orihime Inoue was travelling to the world of the living from the soul society, her spiritual pressure vanished. We believe that the arrancar attack was a distraction so that they could locate and abduct her." Yamamoto answered before noticing something odd. "Rukia Kuchiki, it appears that you have recovered rather quickly given the injuries you were reported to have suffered."

"Yes, head captain. It is the reason Ichigo and I came here in the first place. We think Orihime might have healed my wounds undetected somehow." Rukia politely answered

"If that's the case the we have another problem. It would appear that Orihime Inoue is a traitor." Yamamoto announced which visibly shocked everyone, especially Ichigo. Before anyone could question, he explained how he came to that conclusion. "The fact that Orihime had time to heal you before disappearing completely indicates that she went out of her own free will and that she was not abducted. If she had been abducted she would not have had the time to heal your wounds."

"But wait..." Ichigo attempted to object before Renji stopped him.

"I know this sucks Ichigo but just let it go. It is not a good idea to pick a fight with the head captain." Renji said calmly, although the expression on his face says otherwise

"With this information, we now know that the arrancars are ready for battle. All members of Captain Hitsugaya's advanced troops are to return immediately and defend the soul society." Yamamoto ordered and before anyone can object, a senkaimon appeared behind everyone and two figures appeared

"Alright, no whining. Get your asses moving." Kenpachi made himself known

"Don't try to resist. We have been given orders to take you back by force if necessary." Byakuya said coldly backing up Kenpachi

Everyone saw there is no choice and surrendered, walking towards the two newcomers as they did so

Ichigo watched as everyone left. Just when he was about to force them to stay he remembered something. '**Don't trust the soul society.'** The words echoed in his mind and he realized that this is what he meant all this time so instead of doing something stupid, he just glared at the head captain. The head captain noticed his glare and was quite intimidated by it. Ichigo's power was still far from maturity and he is already able to defeat powerful opponents. It was anyone's guess as to how strong he would be if he matured his powers. Nonetheless the head captain decided to switch off the communication after Ichigo glared at him for a few seconds.

'If those useless clowns won't help, then I guess I'll just have to get her back on my own.' Ichigo thought before he realized something. 'Just how in the hell was he able to predict that this would happen anyway.'

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Notes: I hope you enjoyed it. Maybe next chapter or the one after I will be doing a major time skip. Again thanks for the support


	11. Chapter 10

**Here is the next chapter. This one also contains the first major time skip. I hope you enjoy it**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach

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-Las Noches, Fifth Tower-

Ichigo and Ulquiorra were having a little skirmish up in the fifth tower of las noches. The both of them were just throwing kicks and slashes at each other. One might even think they were playing around. Eventually Uryu arrived and Ichigo was finally able to use his hollow powers now that someone can protect Orihime.

The fight immediately went Ichigo's way with Ulquiorra being forced on the defensive and was pushed through a wall in the tower. Ichigo was even able to block Ulquiorra's cero without much effort after putting on his mask. After seeing that Ichigo was stronger than him at this point, Ulquiorra decided to change that and began moving towards las noches' canopy

Above the canopy, things quickly went south for Ichigo. Ulquiorra released his resurreccion and completely overwhelmed the substitute soul reaper. It was bad enough that Ichigo couldn't inflict any damage upon his enemy, but the fact that Ulquiorra was able to shatter his mask with a single cero oscuras made things even worse

Ichigo's hollowfication has improved since his training with the visored. However even that isn't enough to defeat Ulquiorra. During his fight with Grimmjow, Ichigo was finally able to master his hollowfication, being able to maintain it for as long as he needs it to or until his enemy shatters it

Fortunately for Ichigo, Ulquiorra was not outright trying to kill him, yet. In fact he was trying to force Ichigo to give up. When Ichigo refused to do so despite being completely overwhelmed, Ulquiorra decided to try another method and release his second stage resurreccion. Again Ichigo was still overwhelmed and was now more helpless than he was.

Having given up trying to break Ichigo, Ulquiorra decided to end the fight once and for all and lifted Ichigo by the neck using his tail. Just before he could kill him he noticed someone arrive. "So you've come, how nice. You're just in time, watch closely." he told Orihime and Uryu before pointing his finger right at Ichigo's chest and charging a cero oscuras. "Here is the man to whom you've entrusted all your hope. Bear witness as his life comes to an end." he said and fired the cero at point blank range

Ichigo got a massive hole in his chest and fell from the pillar he and Ulquiorra was standing on. Orihime desperately attempted to save his life while Uryu engaged the arrancar in an effort to buy Orihime time to heal Ichigo

Like with Ichigo, Uryu was completely overwhelmed by Ulquiorra and just when he was about to be killed, a massive spike of spiritual pressure emerged from where Orihime was. This caught everyone's attention as Ichigo was standing up but looked completely different. Just like Ulquiorra, he now looked like a demon with horns protruding from the sides of his head that are pointing forward, his hands and toes now have claws and his body was white with black markings

"This can't be. You can't be alive. What is that form? Who are you?" Ulquiorra muttered in disbelief at the sudden revival of his enemy

Ichigo responded by extending his hand to his side which summoned his sword back to him. He then slashed the ground behind him which caused las noches itself to quake from the force and sent Orihime flying away

"Did you not hear me? I asked you to identify yourself." Ulquiorra demanded but this time he was met with nothing but silence from Ichigo. "It appears to me, you can't understand what I'm saying." he said before charging up a cero oscuras

Ichigo merely replied by leaning forward and charging his own cero which caused Ulquiorra's eyes to widen in disbelief. The two ceros collided, creating a massive explosion however it was Ulquiorra's cero that was pushed back before the explosion took place

Ulquiorra decided to retreat for a bit and regather his thoughts on the battle. 'That, was undoubtably the blast of a cero, and it was powerful enough to counter my cero oscuras. He may resemble a hollow, but he can't have the powers. There's no way a human could discharge a cero.' his thoughts were interrupted when a massive wind came his way and the smoke cleared. Ichigo was still just standing there looking at him. "That's enough." Ulquiorra said and fired another cero oscuras at Ichigo

This time, Ichigo just slashed his sword downwards when the cero neared him, which cut it in two and split apart to his sides. Ichigo then flashed behind Ulquiorra and just when he tried to defend himself, Ichigo cut off both his left arm and wing and sent Ulquiorra falling to the ground

Ulquiorra was panting from the injury he received but was otherwise unfazed. The reason was soon revealed as he simply regenerated his arm. "My greatest strength is not in my attack, it's in my ability to regenerate, and I'm unique. In exchange for immense strength, most arrancars lose much of their ability to regenerate at ultra high speed. I alone am able to regenerate all of my body parts at high speed. I don't know how you took on that form but it won't be enough of an advantage. You saw what happened when you tore off my arm, I was able to regenerate it quite easily. Defeating me will be impossible, as you're about to discover." he said before forming a diamond with his hands and separating them from both sides. "Lanza del Relampago." he said as he grabbed the energy lance he formed. "Don't move. Stay right where you are. If possible, I prefer not to unleash this at close range." he said before throwing his lance at Ichigo

Ichigo simply tilted his head and the lance instead hit the desert and causing another huge explosion. This didn't surprise Ulquiorra one bit as he knew that wouldn't hit. "I'll try again. It's always been very dificult to control." he said as he summoned another lance. Uryu was in shock as to how Ulquiorra can use a technique with that amount of destructive force consecutively

As Ulquiorra was preparing to throw it again, Ichigo suddenly flashed behind him. 'What? He slipped completely past my pesquisa. That wasn't a flash step he just did now. It was a sonido.' he thought before he was forced to block multiple vicious strikes before being kicked away

"**Why don't you just give up?"** Ichigo suddenly said which surprised Ulquiorra. His voice was warped and it sent chills down Uryu's spine. Even the Ulquiorra who is usually emotionless felt a bit fear when Ichigo spoke although he maintained his usual demeanor. Orihime on the other hand, was in absolute terror. This voice belonged to the one who nearly killed. When Uryu asked her about it she then explained her situation not more than three months ago

"What?" Ulquiorra asked surprised

"**Earlier you talked to Ichigo about why he would not back down against an opponent he has no hope of defeating. So now I am going to ask you the same question. Why would you fight an enemy you cannot hope to defeat?" **Ichigo asked. At this point it was clear that Ichigo was being possessed by someone else, someone far more powerful than he is

"Who are you? And why have you only revealed yourself now?" Ulquiorra ignored the question and demanded to know who the entitiy possessing Ichigo was

"**Who I am is not important and it will not concern you anytime soon. As for why I only revealed myself now, let's just say things are gonna get a little awkward if Ichigo dies. Now answer my previous question."** Ichigo replied

Ulquiorras was silent for a few moments and staring at Ichigo before answering. "What nonsense. I will show you that even though you are trying to imitate hollows, you will never be my equal." Ulquiorra said before throwing his lance

Ichigo just stood there without making any signs of dodging. His form was also making it impossible to read his impression. As the lance neared, Ichigo just caught it with his bare hand and forced it to dissipate with a simple crushing motion which left Ulquiorra speechless and wide open. He then flashed right in front of Ulquiorra. "**I told you. You can't defeat me."** he said before slashing Ulquiorra from his left shoulder to his right hip

"Damn it all. I never thought it was possible to be defeated by a hollowfied human. It's completely ludicrous." Ulquiorra berated himself

"**What gives? Earlier you mentioned how you studied everyone closely affiliated with Ichigo. Don't tell me you studied everyone except for Ichigo otherwise you would have known there is more to Ichigo than meets the eye." **Ichigo said while pointing two of his fingers at Ulquiorra and charging a cero. "**Then again, you won't get the chance to do so."**

Just before he can discharge the cero, Ichigo was forced to parry an attack from a newcomer arrancar. The attacker was none other than Coyote Starrk who, for some reason, is back in las noches

"**I remember you, you were the one that brought that stupid girl to Aizen after that clown Nnoitra was killed. You're back pretty early? Things did not go your way now did it?"** Ichigo asked the newcomer however he failed to notice that Ulquiorra regenerated his wound and retreated back to where Starrk was standing

"What are you doing back so soon?" Ulquiorra asked

"I'll explain later, but first we need to deal with this guy. Just who is he anyway? His spiritual pressure is different from anything I've ever felt. In fact it even rivals Aizen's." Starrk gave a not so clear response

"That is Ichigo Kurosaki who is possessed by a hollow. Even I have no idea how this happened. It must be some sort of unexpected results from his so called hollowfication." Ulquiorra answered

Before the two Ichigo suddenly spoke. "**How about I let you two off the hook?"** he offered suddenly

Surprised, the two of them looked at Ichigo suspiciously. "What are you talking about? Why would you even consider it?" Ulquiorra asked

**"To be honest it is because you two are rather interesting for hollows. It is quite rare to see hollows not act out of pure instinct and I would rather not kill someone like that. The fact that you're friend is back so soon obviously means that things did not go your way. Either the soul reapers got the best of you or Aizen decided to kick you out and deal with the soul reapers himself."** Ichigo calmly explained. "**I do have one condition though. None of you reveal anything that happened here. If you want to discuss about it only do it when all of the soul reapers have scrammed. That includes the two of you." **he finished glancing at Uryu and Orihime as he was raising his spiritual pressure

Uryu and Orihime were in absolute fear when the three were having a little discussion. Even with two arrancars, Ichigo's power was greater than the two arrancars and it was still rising. When Ichigo finished talking and looked at their direction, the both of them gave a nod of understanding. It didn't take much to figure out why the entity possessing Ichigo would demand such a thing. If word got out about it, Ichigo would most likely get in trouble with the soul society

Ulquiorra was unsure about the offer and looked at Starrk to see what decision he was gonna make. Since Starrk was the highest ranked espada, he has a limited authority over the other espadas, Ulquiorra included. It did not take that long for Starrk to give a reply. "Alright. I accept your offer." Starrk replied and glanced at Ulquiorra, who nodded and dropped both of his ressureccions which surprised Starrk

Uryu and Orihime were relieved at the arrancar's decision. They really didn't wanna be in the middle of a fight against creatures as powerful as the three before them. Orihime on the other hand was in slightly of a panic for some reason. "You. Give back Ichigo now! This fight is over. You don't have to use him anymore." she yelled to the entity possessing Ichigo

A wave of spiritual pressure soon hit her and she was forced on her knees. "**What makes you think you have any right to demand anything you stupid girl?"** Ichigo answered while still raising his spiritual pressure which he expertly directed to Orihime alone so none of the others were forced on their knees or rendered unable to move. "**None of us would be in this situation right now if it wasn't for your stupidity. If you had a brain in your head you would have realized that it was a trap when Ulquiorra abducted you. I thought after I nearly killed you a few months ago you would have wanted to get stronger but I guess I was wrong. You're still as pathetic as always. I don't even understand how someone as pathetic as yourself managed to gain the ability to reverse time in a limited area. Ulquiorra should have killed you when he realized Ichigo was in hueco mundo already."** he finished and lifted the pressure he released

Orihime was in absolute terror as she was scolded at. She knew it was a trap and still went along with it. When the pressure was lifted, she was panting heavily and sweating profusely. Uryu on the other hand, looked at Ichigo in shock. 'How could you do this to her?' he thought before deciding to accept that the one possessing Ichigo was completly different from Ichigo himself although he couldn't complain after all, if it wasn't for the entitity, Ichigo would probably be dead by now

"So what do we do now? I thought you said you didn't want the soul reapers to find out about any of this?" Starrk asked

"**I don't. I'm gonna give back Ichigo. I just wanted to teach this foolish girl a lesson. Make sure you keep your word otherwise there is nowhere you can hide from me." **Ichigo stated before his body was outlined with red spirit energy. After a few seconds, Ichigo's body seemed to lightly explode. When it was over, the white parts of his hollowfied form soon fell off him and shattered like glass upon hitting the ground. Ichigo was standing there still with the hole he received from Ulquiorra before falling down, unconcious

Everyone watched in shock as it all happened and were taken by surprise when they saw Ichigo still had the injuries he received. "So, is he dead or something?" Starrk wondered out

Before anyone can respond, the parts from Ichigo's hollowfied form levitated on their own and circled right above the hole in Ichigo's torso before shooting itself towards it. When it was over, the hole was completely repaired with no sign of it ever existing

"It's high speed regeneration? How?" Ulquiorra asked

Ichigo soon got up and held his torso where the hole was. "What? I'm still alive? Didn't I have a massive hole in my chest?" he wondered out loud before looking around him. He saw Starrk and recognized him as the one who brought Orihime to Aizen and also felt him leave hueco mundo after he finished said task. Before he can ask questions, he felt Renji and Chad's spiritual pressure nearly faint. "Renji. Chad." Ichigo said before grabbing his sword and running towards the hole he and Ulquiorra arrived at and jumping down

The others were surprised at his actions because they thought Ichigo would have asked questions by now. "Mind telling me why we're not fighting anymore?" Uryu asked Starrk, deciding to voice the questions instead

"I'll tell you that when that Ichigo guy is around. I don't wanna bother repeating myself. Bottomline, things went the worst way possible." Starrk gave a short reply before looking at Orihime. "Hey girl, can I ask a favor from you?"

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**Yeah, I didn't kill Ulquiorra in the story. That part really made me sad and it takes a lot for me to feel sad about anime or tv shows. Again kindly review**


	12. Chapter 11

**Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it**

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach

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**Chapter 11 - Shifting Allegiances**

Ichigo soon arrived at the desert below the canopy and saw Renji and Chad knocked out by none other than Yammy. Rukia was also in danger as the big guy was now targeting her. As Yammy was about to punch Rukia into tomorrow, Ichigo suddenly flashed through and brought her to safety atop a pillar.

"Ichigo?" Rukia said in relief as Ichigo set her down

"Just stay still Rukia. I'll deal with this guy." Ichigo said right before a cero came their way which he just sliced in two with barely any effort

"Ichigo Kurosaki! I've been waiting for this for quite some time. The chance to pay you back for cutting off my arm." Yammy yelled and began charging another cero in his mouth

Yammy soon fired the cero but like before, it was just batted away like it was nothing which infuriated the centipede like arrancar. Ichigo soon vanished and began moving away from the area

"Stand still you bastard. Stop moving around." Yammy yelled while swinging punch after punch at the fleeing Ichigo

"Damn, you're loud. Don't you ever shut up." Ichigo grumbled before unleashing a getsuga tensho which inflicted a wound from Yammy's right shoulder to his chest

"You bastard. That hurt!" Yammy yelled again while trying to nurse the wound. "I am gonna kill you for that soul reaper!"

As Yammy was about to throw another punch, two figures suddenly appeared behind Ichigo. "Stand down Yammy. There is no reason to fight anymore." Starrk said with Ulquiorra to his side

"What the hell are you saying? These guys are our enemies." Yammy grumbled to Starrk

"The situation has changed Yammy. Stand down. We no longer serve Aizen." Ulquiorra said emotionlessly which surprised everyone

Yammy just stared at the two arrancars while contemplating his next action. Suddenly, he raised his hand indicating he was about to throw another punch. "I don't give a damn about Aizen. I saved up all this spirit energy to get payback on this damn soul reaper and I am gonna kill him." he yelled

Before he could throw his punch, he was suddenly hit with a rock to his face. Everyone looked to the direction it came from and saw the four soul reaper captains and their lieutenants coming towards them, with Mayuri and Nemu bringing some sort of wagon

"Hey Ichigo, mind if I take this one?" Kenpachi asked to which Ichigo just nodded. "Hey big guy, Ichigo doesn't appear to cut it so why don't you play with me? I expect a decent fight from you alright, maggot." he said before charging at the giant arrancar

"What are you doing with these arrancar Ichigo?" Byakuya asked in confusion as to what was going on

"Well to be honest, I have no clue." Ichigo responded while scratching the back of his head. His answer almost made all of them facepalm. "What exactly happened anyway? I thought you were supposed to be at the world of the living?" he asked, looking at Starrk

Starrk just sighed before deciding to explain everything. "It started when..." he started to explain what happened

_-Flashback, Fake Karakura Town, Twenty Minutes ago-_

_The battle against the thirteen court guard squads and the arrancars appeared to be evenly matched since Aizen and his crew were unable to join the battle because of a certain old man. Both sides appear to have at least one espada vs captain battle won and lost_

_Starrk was the one who was winning. With a little help from Wonderweiss, he was able to down both of his opponents. Barragan's situation was unclear as smoke from Soifon's bankai was smothering the area around him. Harribel on the other hand, was not so lucky. She was the only one who lost her fight. Toshiro's Hyoten Hyakkaso would have killed her if not for the timely intervention of Wonderweiss, which shattered the ice she was trapped in_

_At this point, Hooleer blew out the fire that was keeping Aizen and his crew imprisoned and the soul reapers soon thought it was gonna be over for them. Before any of the battles continue, eight people arrived to join in. Apparently they were allies of the soul reapers and it was soon revealed that they were soul reapers who have hollowfication similar to Ichigo's, which they showed when they slaughter a whole bunch of Gillians_

_Each of them split up to aid the soul reapers in the fight against the arrancars. One of them managed to defeat the number two espada_

_Aizen watched with an amused expression as Barragan desperately tried to kill him by throwing his axe as he was dying. As expected, the axe failed to reach its target as it vanished into thin air when its owner finally died_

_Looking around at the battlefield, Aizen saw Starrk who appeared to be not giving it his all and Harribel appeared to be overwhelmed as the visored who helped her opponent immediately put on their mask in an attempt to defeat her as soon as possible._

_"Stop that's enough, Gin." Aizen said to Gin, who was having a little skirmish with Shinji and caused them both to stop fighting. "We will finish this now." _

_"Excuse me?" Shinji asked in confusion. He soon got his answer when Aizen disappeared and moved to where Harribel was having a standoff against her opponents._

_His arrival completely surprised the four of them. Toshiro, Lisa and Hiyori was a bit worried as there was no way they would be able to fight both Aizen and the arrancar_

_"Lord Aizen? What is it?" Harribel asked in a slightly worried voice, hoping this wasn't about what she thought it was. Her fears were realized when Aizen suddenly put his hand on his sword and slashed her across the abdomen, inflicting a very deep cut_

_"I'm done with you. Based on your performance it appears you're not strong enough to fight for me." Aizen calmly replied while sheathing his sword_

_"I don't understand." Harribel muttered in disbelief as she began to fall _

_"Isn't it obvious? Even if I forced more of you to sacrifice yourselves in the end it would achieve nothing. So I'm cutting my losses." Aizen replied before looking at Starrk's direction_

_Starrk watched the whole ordeal in horror. He followed Aizen because he thought he was a man who valued his comrades but in turns out they were nothing but pawns. Starrk then decided to get the hell out and shot a cero metralleta at the two visored he was engaging before disappearing to the city below and hiding his spiritual pressure_

_"Starrk, what are we gonna do now? Lord Aizen appears to wanna kill us now." Lilynette asked in a worried voice as the two of them were hiding in the first floor of a building_

_"We have to retreat to las noches but we have to bring Harribel with us. That girl that Aizen had Ulquiorra kidnap should be able to patch her up." Starrk replied _

_"Are you crazy? The soul reapers are still there. They'd kill us on the spot if the see us not to mention Harribel is injured and can't fight." Lilynette grumbled _

_"I know but we have no choice. Hopefully Ulquiorra hasn't killed Ichigo Kurosaki yet. I'm sure Ichigo would understand and that would be all we need for the other soul reapers to attack us." Starrk explained before looking out a window. "Lilynette, just stay in pistol form until we get to las noches okay? I will need both arms to get Harribel out of here as soon as possible." he said. Lilynette was unhappy with it but made no objections as even she understood the tight spot they were in_

_Outside the window, Starrk saw one of the visored girls who was giving a speech about the good old days. This led him to conclude that the newcomers were once members of the thirteen court guard squads before, according to the girl, Aizen turned them into what they are. When she charged at Aizen in an attempt to cut him down, she was stabbed through the back by Gin and was sent falling with another visored, who appeared to be the leader, trying to catch her. Taking advantage of the distraction, he sped through the streets towards where Harribel has fallen_

_Soon enough, he arrived at where Harribel was. He then put one of her arms around his shoulder in order to support her until he can open a garganta. "Wait, where do we go now?" Harribel weakly asked_

_"Back to las noches. We can't stay here. We'll get caught in the crossfire." Starrk answered_

_Seeing no other choice and not really in the best of conditions, Harribel decided to trust Starrk. "I can walk. Let's take my fraccion back with us." she said as she removed her arm from Starrk's shoulders_

_Starrk wanted to object but he didn't. As someone who valued his comrades, he can understand why she would want to do this. So they just stealthily moved through the streets towards where the tres betias were burned. When they arrived, they grabbed hold of the three before looking up to see the situation. They saw that for some reason, only the leader of the visored engaged Aizen while the others, the soul reapers included just looked on, with the exception of the doggie who engaged Kaname in a fight. Seizing this opportunity, Starrk opened up a garganta and entered with it closing immediately once all five of them were inside. Somehow, the only ones who noticed about them disappearing was Shunsui, Yamamoto and Aizen but the three didn't do anything about it_

-Las Noches, present time-

"... when I came back I went to where Ulquiorra was and found him about to kill Ichigo. I stopped him from doing so and gave a short rundown of what happened." Starrk finished explaining things to the confused soul reapers, with the exception of Kenpachi who was playing around with Yammy

Ichigo was surprised at the last part of Starrk's explanation. He was sure that he died, and seeing as he had no injuries with the exception of his torn clothing, he figured he lost control of his hollowfication and it was the other way around. Before he could respond, he saw Uryu heading towards them glaring at him, which effectively made Ichigo shut up about what happened

"So does this mean you no longer serve Aizen?" Byakuya asked, wanting to be reassured about the arrancar's intentions

"No. Not anymore." Ulquiorra simply replied which made Byakuya put a hand on his zanpakuto in wariness

"So we no longer have to fight?" Ichigo wondered

"We have no reason to. Each of us espada joined Aizen in exchange for something. Most other arrancars joined for increase in strength but us top espadas joined for something completely different." Starrk explained

This did not make Byakuya drop his guard and Mayuri looked like he was ready to dissect both of the espadas. Before anything could happen Unohana walked spoke. "Then we will not fight you. For as long as you do not attack the soul society or the world of the living, we will leave las noches in peace."

"But Captain Unohana..." Byakuya was about to object before he was cut off

"It's alright Captain Kuchiki. If we were to have another battle now it would only result in unnecessary injuries. Also, all of us once trusted Aizen and thought he was an ally, as such we should be able to relate to what the arrancars feel right now." Unohana explained in a sweet voice which sent shivers down on all of the soul reaper's spines

"What about that big arrancar over there?" Mayuri questioned in an excited voice while pointing to where Kenpachi and Yammy were fighting

"He is no longer our ally. We ordered him to stand down and he refused. As much as I'd hate to see another comrade go, I would rather not risk the others." Starrk replied

Mayuri laughed insanely at the arrancars reply. "Can that barbarian just finish up already? I'm dying to dissect that big espada." he mumbled while wiggling his fingers

Everyone was uneasy at Mayuri's outburst and a few moments of silence took place.

Ichigo decided to break the silence. "Uryu, where is Orihime?" he asked

"She is over there." Uryu replied to the distance and saw an orange barrier around a small group of people along with an arrancar kid. "Starrk asked her to heal the other arrancars when you came down from the canopy."

"That's good." Ichigo said in relief and looked around and soon found Orihime in the distance along with four arrancars under her healing spell with another child arrancar near her. Befoe he could do anything else

"ITSYGOOOOO!" Nel yelled as she slammed into Ichigo which knocked him to the ground. The others watched in amusement as the child arrancar was fawning over Ichigo

"Nel?" Ichigo asked, surprised that Nel found him

"I was so worried Itsygo. I thought master Uwkyora has killed you." Nel said as she was crying

"Is that you Nelliel? You look different from the time you were here." Ulquiorra inquired. He too was surprised that Nel was back

"Wait, you two know each other?" Ichigo asked, looking back and forth between the two of them

"Of course Nel knows Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra was the first one that Lord Aizen recruited into his army. He's also the scariest of the espada, having maintained his rank since he the first time he was here." Nel yelled while waving her arms around

The other soul reapers watched the whole ordeal between the strawberry and the arrancars in curiousity. Each of them just wondered who this little girl was but decided to just observe and be on guard in case anything happened. Starrk too was watching with interest. He never saw Nel before and now he was curious as to who this child is

"So why did you leave las noches Nelliel?" Ulquiorra asked. "Did you leave on your own choice? Or was it Nnoitra?

Nel then looked to the ground in sadness, both at what happened to her and how Nnoitra died. As a child, it did not come as a surprise that she could not hate Nnoitra

Before anyone could speak, Ulquiorra noticed something odd about Nel. "What happened to your mask Nelliel? Your spirit energy appears to be leaking from the crack in it. Perhaps this is why you are a child now."

Ichigo then put the pieces together. 'So if Nel is a former espada then that means Nnoitra was somehow involved in her incapacitation. That guy for some reason hates her so much.' he thought

"It was most likely Nnoitra." Ulquiorra spoke after a few moments of silence took place when he revealed about Nel's mask. "Since the early days of when Aizen took over las noches, he always seem to be unable to comprehend how a woman can be stronger than a man."

This bit of information infuriated the girls who were present at the sexism the arrancar they never met apparently had. Everyone could feel the anger in the air and the all just shut up for the moment

"By the way, what happened to Grimmjow, Ichigo? I didn't feel his presence when I got back." Starrk asked

"That bastard Nnoitra. I managed to defeat Grimmjow in our fight and that guy comes from out of nowhere and killed him." Ichigo answered through gritted teeth. He may not really like Grimmjow but he sure as hell hate people who attack their own comrades for no apparent reason

Again, this did not surprise the two arrancars as they have expected as much.

Ichigo then decided enough chit chat for him, picked Nel up and handed her to Uryu. "Uryu, can you have Orihime fix Nel's mask too?"

"Of course Ichigo. But what are you planning on doing?" Uryu asked as he took Nel

"I'm gonna go to the world of the living. Since there is nothing else to do here I might as well join in on the fight against Aizen." Ichigo replied. Nel appeared to cry when Ichigo said this but he put his hand on her head reassuringly. "Don't worry Nel. I'll come back as soon as I can." which made Nel stop crying

Uryu nodded then walked towards Orihime, carrying Nel who was throwing a tantrum at being carried by someone other than Ichigo

"Are you sure you wanna do that, kid? This is not just something you can just barge in and expect to emerge victorious. Aizen is very powerful, more powerful than all of us the espada combined." Starrk asked and appeared to be worried for Ichigo

"I am. Whether I like it or not, Aizen declared war on me when he had Yammy and Ulquiorra attack and I am not just gonna back out from this." Ichigo declared which surprised everyone including the soul reapers as they thought he only wanted to save Orihime. "Ulquiorra, can you please open up a garganta for me?"

Ulquiorra just stared at Ichigo for a few moments before giving his reply. "You truly are an enigma to me Ichigo Kurosaki. Why would you fight an enemy you have no hope of defeating? Do you truly not value your life at all?" he asked before doing what he was requested to do and opened up a garganta. Before Ichigo could enter Ulquiorra blocked his path. "Your spirit energy is even lower than when we first fought. It appears that your robe corresponds to the amount you have left. Are you sure it is wise to go there without being at full strength first?"

This made the soul reaper's eyes widen in surprise. Ichigo was already fighting Yammy with barely any effort and he was not even at full strength. In fact it looked like he wasn't even at half strength since he only had a little over a sleeve left

"In that case, I will go with you." Unohana said as she took her zanpakuto from Isane. "Ichigo, while we travel through the garganta, I will restore your spirit energy as best I can. Since your body is already healed it shouldn't be a problem."

"Alright, miss Unohana. Thank you." Ichigo said gratefully before looking at Ulquiorra. "Before I go, Ulquiorra you asked me why I would fight an enemy who is far stronger than I am and I'll tell you why. Because there is no point in life if you have nobody to share it with." he said before entering the garganta. His words did leave an impression on Ulquiorra and it gave the arrancar a contemplative look

"Lieutenant Isane, I trust that you will take care of things here. Please heal up Renji and others and assist Orihime if she needs it." Unohana instructed Isane who gave her an affirmative nod. She then followed Ichigo into the garganta

"It's too bad. I actually wanted to test this garganta I acquired from Szayelapparo." Mayuri said in disappointment. "But at least I still have a big espada I can dissect." he said while looking to where Kenpachi and Yammy were still fighting

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**Well there you go. Kindly rate again. **

**In my story I decided to kill Grimmjow because honestly, I don't understand how he survived in the canon. There is also another reason why but I won't reveal that yet as it would be some spoilers. And I am not shipping Starrk and Harribel. I'm not a big fan of shipping any characters especially when the canon isn't about romance at all**

**For the next chapter, it might be delayed by two weeks or more. School is gonna have us do some annoying projects for the next two weeks and I would only have saturdays and sundays to ****write**


	13. Chapter 12

**Here is the next one. The project the school had us do is finally over and I just finished writing this the other day. I hope you enjoy**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

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**Chapter 12 - Secrets**

-Precipice World-

The battle against Aizen went swimmingly. He cut down the captains and the visored without so much as taking a scratch on him. When the head captain showed up, he had a plan in place to defeat him, Wonderweiss. Kisuke, Yoruichi and to Ichigo's surprise, his father, also arrived to fight but Aizen had already begun to evolve and just beat them fairly easily while Gin was playing around with Ichigo

Regaining conciousness, Isshin implored a hopeless Ichigo that they have to go to the real karakura town and stop the so called madman who wanted to destroy it. Ichigo soon enough agreed and as they were running through the dangai, Isshin noticed something.

"Wait, Ichigo, stop." Isshin called out to Ichigo who was running in front of him.

"What? I thought we were in a hurry?" Ichigo stopped and asked

"Something's wrong. There's no sign of the cleaner." Isshin answered. "From the traces of spiritual pressure, I'd say Aizen did something. The bastard probably destroyed it when he came here."

"So is it bad if the cleaner's not here?" Ichigo asked, slightly worried

"If we leave things like this it's not good, but right now, it's good for us." Isshin said which surprised Ichigo. "As its name suggests, the precipice world is on the edge. It's a place isolated temporally and spatially from both the world of the living and the soul society. The cleaner exists to limit those who have entered from staying too long. But right now it's not here, so I'll be able to teach you in this place."

"Teach me? Teach me what?" Ichigo asked

Isshin hesitated for a few seconds, knowing what would happen if Ichigo did learn it. "You must learn the Final Getsuga Tensho." he said, finally

"The Final Getsuga Tensho?" Ichigo asked in confusion. "Why do it here, of all places?"

"The precipice world is a disconnected space and it is surrounded by multiple layers of temporal torrents or to put it in simple terms, time flows faster in here than it does outside. The difference is unbelievable, by the time one year passes in our world, two thousand years would have gone by in here. Besides being the pathway to the world of the living, this place is also used to exile criminals. If the restrictive current ensnares you, escape is impossible and death is imminenet. If the cleaner comes in contact with you, you'll be hurled from the present and the rapid flow of time will kill you." Isshin explained. "But, since the cleaner's not here, it's the perfect opportunity to gain time. Since time here in the precipice world flows faster than outside, if you train for 2000 hours here, only one hour would have gone by outside. Sealing off the cleaner is impossible but there is a way to temporarily stop the restrictive current." Isshin said and grabbed four sticks with ropes from his robe. He then threw two of the sticks towards the restrictive current on each side with ropes tying around his wrists. "This process is called realm fixation. Usually it is done by having multiple low ranking soul reapers put together their spirit energy to temporarily stop the restrictive current, but I can do that by myself. I'll hold out the restrictive current until my spirit energy is used up. By my estimate that should give you about 2000 hours in here, just a little short of three months. Use that time to get an answer." he finished

"Answer?" Ichigo once again asked in confusion

"That's right. Find out what works. Get your sword Zangetsu to tell you what the Final Getsuga Tensho is for you." Isshin replied

"Alright but give me an idea on what the final getsuga tensho is." Ichigo said

Isshin sighed. He didn't want to have to reveal it to his son this way but it appeared Ichigo is adamant on knowing what it is and they were running out of time. "It is a technique that allows you to gain massive amounts of power, enough to surpass even the head captain's. However, once this technique is used, you will lose all of your soul reaper powers after a few hours. I would do this myself but I was never able to convince my zanpakuto, Engetsu, to tell me what it is and he doesn't want me to know how to use it. I'm sure you can guess the reason why."

"Yeah. I understand your zanpakuto's motivations. Zangetsu would give me the fight of my life if I want to know this one but if this is the only way, then I'll do it." He said and got into a seating position on the ground with his sword placed across his lap. For a few moments, Isshin thought Ichigo was not doing it right. Ichigo's breathing was still faster than it should be when someone was in their inner world. He was about to punch Ichigo when he noticed that his breathing had finally calmed down, indicating that Ichigo had succeeded

-Ichigo's Inner World-

Ichigo had made it. First thing he noticed was that the entire place was submerged in water. He looked around and noticed that some parts of his inner world had become that of a small town instead of the huge skyscrapers. Only a few skyscrapers remained and they were at the center of his inner world. He landed on the side of one of them and wondered what happened. 'Ichigo, do you know how I hate the rain, and it rains in the world too? If you're heart is troubled, the skies will become cloudy, if you grieve, it will rain endlessly.' he suddenly remembered Zangetsu's words after he was brought here during his fight with Kenpachi

"So I guess it rained here and this is what happened. When I lost hope of defeating Aizen ." he muttered sadly. To his surprise however, someone replied from behind him

"That's right. The rain that continued to fall has subsided and nearly everything has submerged itself to this ocean. And this all happened because you hope and stopped moving forward." the man said. "Interesting. When you first came into this ocean, I would have thought your first reaction would be to run up to the surface. It pleases me to know that you are aware you can breath in here." he continued when after getting Ichigo's attention

Ichigo turned around, expecting to see Zangetsu but he was surprised that he looked different than usual. "Zangetsu? Is that you?"

Instead of answering, Zangetsu just charged and locked swords with Ichigo. "You're wrong. What is the full name of your bankai?" he asked while pushing Ichigo back. "I am Tensa Zangetsu, understand?" he said and slashed his sword to the right. Ichigo got a slight wound on his left arm from the attack

Outside Ichigo's body, spirit energy came out from the same spot in which Zangetsu cut him in his inner world. This led Isshin to conclude that Ichigo had begun fighting Zangetsu. "You've made it. Be careful this time. He will not go easy on you." he said to himself, worried about his son

Back with Ichigo

Ichigo dodge another attack from Zangetsu. Since they met again, Zangetsu has been trying to attack him but it looked like he was not putting any effort into it. "Hold on Old Man." Ichigo said as he blocked Zangetsu's next strike. "I don't mean you're old, but just hear me out. I did not come here to start a fight with you. I just wanna talk to you about something."

"Oh you do? About the Final Getsuga Tensho? You're father already told you what it is did he not? What makes you think I would teach it to you?" Zangetsu asked

"Well I..." Ichigo began to mutter before he felt his body pierced. He looked down and saw Zangetsu had thrust his hand right through his chest. He was surprised at how Zangetsu managed to move right in front of him without him even noticing

"So you want the Final Getsuga Tensho do you? Alright, only if you prove yourself worthy of its secrets." Zangetsu said before pulling his hand out of Ichigo's chest, ripping out a white substance and causing Ichigo to yell in pain

After Zangetsu finished ripping the substance out of Ichigo, the strawberry was then forced to move back and kneel from pain. When he finally recovered, he looked at Zangetsu and saw someone very familiar. It was none other than his inner hollow but with a new look. "**What's up? It's been a long time, Ichigo. What's with that look of yours? Don't act like you don't know me.**" White greeted him while lifting his mask

"What? You again?" Ichigo muttered in disbelief. "But how? I watched you disappear after I defeated you."

White put his mask back on before giving Ichigo an answer. "**So did you forget? I warned you, the only way you could really control me, was to stay alive, at least until the next time I showed up."**

Ichigo was surprised at White's response as he completely forgot about it. He glared at both Zangetsu and White for a minute before replying. "Damn, and all this time I thought I destroyed you for good."

"**Oh really? Well too bad for you."** White mocked

"So what's up with the new look? Looks ridiculous on you." Ichigo asked

To his surprise however. It wasn't White who answered him. "That's right. This is the first time seeing this form isn't it? This is exactly how you looked when Ulquiorra Cifer nearly killed you." Zangetsu answered

This shocked Ichigo to his core. Now he finally understood everything. Ulquiorra had killed him, then his hollow took over and must have forced everyone to lie about how the battle ended. 'Why is it he is so distrustful of the soul society.' Ichigo wondered. It didn't take much for him to realize why his hollow would do it. Pushing those thoughts aside, he decided to focus on the matter at hand. "So what is it you want me to do here? Am I supposed to fight this again and defeat him?"

"No." Zangetsu simply replied

"**Ichigo, do you remember what I promised you?"** White asked which caused Ichigo's eyes to narrow in suspicion. "**I told you, We'd tell you everything when you are ready and this mess is over."** he reminded him

"I remember. So are you saying that I am ready?" Ichigo asked suspiciously

"That's right. Now only one more task remains. Finish it and we will keep our promise, Ichigo." Zangetsu answered

Ichigo was now more determined than ever to get this over with. Mostly because his town and sisters were in real danger but part of it came from his own curiousity. 'Just what are these two getting at?' he wondered. "So what do I do to get the final getsuga tensho?"

"**Wanna join in on the fun?"** White asked Zangetsu

"I suppose. It has finally arrived anyway." Zangetsu calmly replied

"Don't ignore me!" Ichigo yelled

"Sorry about that Ichigo. Before we begin I just want to make you aware. I am not Zangetsu." the cloaked man said

"**I am."** White finished the sentence

This simple fact, shook Ichigo's very being. Surprisingly, Ichigo kept his cool and ask the two. "So if he is Zangetsu, then who are you?" gesturing to the man in the black and red cloak

Both of them were surprised at this. They expected Ichigo to panic at this revelation but somehow he isn't doing that. "**Curious. I thought you would panic or ask so many questions when we told you that."** the hollow said with his usual grin gone

"You were the one that forced me to be like this. Yes I do feel somewhat betrayed by this revelation, but the both of you have helped through a lot since we met. So I'm guessing the both of you have your reasons for doing so, and I'm also gonna guess this has something to do with the soul society. Also, when I saw my father as a soul reaper, it made me realize one thing. I know next to nothing about myself and you did say you would tell me once this was all over." Ichigo calmly responded although both Zangetsu and White could see the hurt in his eyes but it was also filled with hope that all will be revealed

There was a pause between the three as each of them began to process the revelations. After a long pause, Ichigo finally spoke. "So, if you're not Zangetsu, then who are you?"

"I am a part of your soul Ichigo but I am a manifestation of a different part of your power." the cloaked man replied

"Different power? What do you mean?" Ichigo asked, confused

"**Enough of this. Ichigo, we promise you that we will tell you everything about us. Now, are you ready for this?"** White broke up the questioning between the other too

Ichigo and Zangetsu were shocked at the hollow's outburst as they were caught up in the discussion. "He's right. Are prepared to do this, Ichigo?" Zangetsu asked

"I thought the Final Getsuga Tensho would cost me my powers, so why are you so willing to give it to me?" Ichigo asked

"We are not willing to give it to you Ichigo, rather..." Zangetsu trailed off

"**You must prove yourself worthy of its secrets. If you succeed, then we will give it to you, if not then everyone you care about will be killed by Aizen. It is that simple. We will also keep our word. Remember, I said when this Aizen mess is over." **White finished Zangetsu's sentence. He then looked at Zangetsu and asked. "**Shall we?"**

Zangetsu spared a glance at Ichigo for a moment before giving his answer. "Yes. Let us do it." he replied before looking at Ichigo. "Ichigo, I will ask you one last time, are you prepared to do this?"

"I am." Ichigo simply replied while readying himself for anything

White and Zangetsu then looked at each other and nodded, before blue and red energy began to appear on the outlines of their body. After a few seconds, both of their bodies disintegrated into particles and moving to the area between the two of them. When all the particles disappeared, a different being appeared, having the physical appearance of Zangetsu with the colorations of White as well as both of his horns with his left eye being that of White's and its right being Zangetsu's. "**This, is our true form Ichigo. We are the same. The two of us are your power. Here we come Ichigo****."** the merged spirit yelled at the last sentence and charged at Ichigo

Outside Ichigo's body

Isshin was growing concerned. It had been a while since Ichigo went in and so far, only one sign of the battle has appeared. This can only mean one thing, Zangetsu has finished Ichigo off very quickly. To his relief however, more of Ichigo's spirit energy began to leak out, indicating that it was not yet over. Soon enough, he was starting to get to his knees as his spirit energy was being slowly dwindling away

-Fake Karakura, a few minutes ago-

As everyone was busy fighting against Aizen, two men were watching the battle from afar. Nobody seemed to have noticed, Aizen included

"So which one of those is our target?" one of them spoke

"The one with the orange hair." the other replied

"I see. What is that guy's name anyway?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki. He's a student at Karakura High School."

"A high school student you say? Impressive. He already has enough power to rival most of those captains." the first guy spoke and the two observed Aizen cut down the captains. "So what are we gonna do? From what I can tell he seems to be closely affiliated with the soul society?"

"We wait. Right now, getting involved would not work to our advantage. It would be best to wait until things have settled down. We also have to inform the others about him."

"What makes you think he will turn against his allies?"

"Because if he knew what his so called allies have been doing, he is not gonna appreciate it."

"I sense some powerful spiritual pressure heading towards the battlefield. I suggest we leave. They might notice us since they're not joining the battle yet."

"Your right. Let's go." and with that the two men left the scene

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**Again, kindly review. As for the next chapters, I can't really say if I can release the next one on the same time I usually release the chapters. There's only a couple months left in school and they might give us a crap ton of projects. **


	14. Chapter 13

**Here is the next chapter. This one took a bit longer than I thought. Also about the reviews, if I do not answer a question, it means that it will be answered soon enough in the story.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

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**Chapter 13 - Battle of the Gods**

-Mountains in the Soul Society-

Ichigo and Aizen were having the greatest battle that the soul society has ever seen. After finishing his little skirmish at the dangai, Ichigo raced towards Karakura Town and forced Aizen into the mountains in order to avoid damaging the town during the fight

The battle, from the point of view of someone far away from the location at least, was very intense. Nearly every minute, a mountain would be blown apart or the earth would quake from the sheer power of the slashes from both combatants

At first glance, it seems as though it was a forgone conclusion that Aizen would win the fight. After all, he did defeat most of the thirteen court guards squad members, past and present, with only suffering slight burns. However it soon turned out it was actually the opposite. Ichigo actually had the upper hand which he demonstrated by catching Aizen's sword with his bare hand and actually landing a deep wound on his right shoulder

Aizen was infuriated at the turn of events and the hogyoku soon forced him to undergo some sort of evolution, becoming a creature that looks physically like some sort of hollow. With newfound power, Aizen renewed his assault on Ichigo and seemingly overpowered him and had him by his neck, until

"Can you hear me Ichigo Kurosaki? I have to give you credit for one brief moment you broke the boundary between hollow and soul reaper to become a transcended being. But that power is no more. It has completely dissipated and not a trace of it remains. You're not even worth trying to understand anymore. Now it's my turn. I, a true transcended being will cause your death. I must say it will be quite a victory, by eliminating you I will completely break free, from soul reapers and hollows alike. It's over, Ichigo Kurosaki." Aizen declared after what he thought was the end of their fight

"Is it Aizen?" Ichigo, despite his burnt left arm, calmly asked which surprised Aizen. "This the best you can do?" he finished before slashing his sword which allowed him to break free from Aizen's grasp and pushing him away. "Aizen, let's end this already. All this rambling you do, I'm sick of it. So prepare yourself. I'll you my Final Getsuga Tensho." he said before pointing his sword at Aizen before holding his right arm with his left hand.

Pitch black energy erupted from Ichigo's body which engulfed him and Aizen was forced to move a few steps back.

"What is that? What is that form he's taking?" Aizen asked nobody in particular

-Flashback, Ichigo's Inner World-

_Ichigo was having some sort of deja vu in this fight. Time and time again, he tried to attack the merged spirit but all it did was him getting knocked into a building. At the moment, the merged spirit and Ichigo were in a sword lock before pushing each other away. It had been a very long time since Ichigo and the merged Zangetsu fought but Ichigo still made no progress whatsoever_

_"__**This is just **__**embarrassing**." Zangetsu said. "__**Let me tell you a little secret about the FInal Getsuga Tensho Ichigo. It is not as simple as you getting the technique from me and using it against someone. In order to actually obtain it in the first place, you require two things, first, both soul reaper and his zanpakuto must have a very strong bond and the second, the soul reaper must be willing fulfill what the zanpakuto asked. This is not as simple as as counting from one to ten. You already know what I told you weeks ago**__."_

_Ichigo was surprised at the merged spirit's behavior. He never once considered the possibility that they would willingly help him get what he needs. "So you're saying, if I want the Final Getsuga Tensho, then I must be willing to not trust the soul society with my very being?"_

_"__**Yes. To be more precise, you must be willing to let go of the soul society as allies. However, this is a commitment that you must never break. Remember, I am your powers and I have been with you since the moment you were born and I know you better than anyone else. If you are not willing to commit yourself to letting go of them and become nothing more than mere ****acquaintances**_**, you will never be able to get the Final Getsuga Tensho**_." Zangetsu answered him_

_"Why are you so willing to help me lose my powers?" Ichigo suspiciously asked _

_"__**All will be revealed when you prove yourself worthy of its secrets however, proving yourself worthy of it will not be enough for you to get the it. Don't forget, we are a part of your soul Ichigo. This means our only interests are for your benefit and yours alone. What happens to the people you care about is none of our concern. So I suggest you keep these things in mind otherwise you are just wasting your time here**__." Zangetsu said before charging at Ichigo_

_Much later_

_Ichigo got up after being knocked to the ground. During the entire fight, he had not been able to inflict any damage upon Zangetsu, not even a tiny scratch. 'Something's not right. I've already committed myself to no longer call the soul society my allies, however, I have to play it cool with them for the time being. Even he must realize that. If he is serious about not giving me the Final Getsuga Tensho, he should stop fighting and keep himself hidden. I'm missing something here.' Ichigo thought as he dodge some sword attacks_

_The both of them soon found themselves on the side of a skyscraper as their battle went on. It didn't take long before Zangetsu broke Ichigo's sword in two and pushed him off the building. Zangetsu then charged at Ichigo with a disappointed look in his eye. Ichigo noticed this and smiled, finally realizing the truth of it. He let go of his sword and allowed Zangetsu to stab pierce him right in the chest. However to his surprise, he felt no pain_

_"__**You finally figured it out, there are three things you need for the Final Getsuga Tensho and the third is to give up all resistance and accept my blade**__**." **__Zangetsu said in a rather uncertain voice_

_"I feel no pain." Ichigo said_

_"__**Of course not. I, Tensa Zangetsu, am part of you. If you accept me, there can be no pain when I run you through**__**.**__" Zangetsu said before moving away, leaving his sword in Ichigo's chest. "__**Concentrate now Ichigo. The secrets to this technique will now be revealed to you**__**."**__ he instructed before his body was outlined with red and blue energy, then separating into Zangetsu and White after a few seconds_

_Moments of silence passed as the secrets of the Final Getsuga Tensho was being given to Ichigo, until the silence was broken by Ichigo. "What? What do you mean I won't lose my powers? I thought it would cause me to lose my powers if I use it?"_

_White just grinned at this before giving the answer. "__**That would be the case if it was actually yours. Getsuga Tensho is not a technique that belongs to you Ichigo, it is your father's. You have a different technique that is similar to it in some ways. Bottomline, you were never using your own powers from the very beginning."**_

_"What are you talking about?" Ichigo questioned_

_Realizing that White was not gonna give an explanation that would be immediately understood, Zangetsu decided to take over. "__Ichigo, we will talk about how this happened later, for the explanation will take a very long time. But just to give you an idea, your power has been sealed since the moment you were born using your father own soul reaper powers. However, what nobody realized is that you have been slowly absorbing your father's spirit energy since you were born. The power that you have been using all this time is nothing more than your father's spirit energy that you have absorbed. If you use the Final Getsuga Tensho, it will unleash all of your father's spirit energy and expel it from your soul__." _

_"My father's power? So that means after I use it, I will be able to use my own power?" Ichigo asked in complete surprise_

_"__**Yeah Ichigo. After you use this technique, your body will collapse not from losing your father's spirit energy, but because it will have to adjust to your own. Adapting to your own power will take a very long time. Depending on how fast you adjust, it could take up to a month of you being unconscious and around ten days if you adjust really fast. During this time, we will explain to you everything. Once you awaken, you will finally be using your own hidden power. Now go. On the outside your father is just about losing consciousness right now. If you don't go back soon, the restrictive current will kill the both of you."**__ White finished_

_"Wait, won't everyone notice that I still have my powers after using it?" Ichigo worriedly asked_

_"__Do not worry about that Ichigo. Like Aizen during his fight with your father and the other two, you are a being that lives on a higher plane of existence and as such, unless you allow soul reapers or hollows to sense your spiritual pressure, they won't be able to. Even now that you know the secrets to the final getsuga tensho, not even Aizen can sense your power. There is no doubt that Kisuke Urahara will inform everyone else about this and that is for the better. Everyone will think that your power is slowly disappearing when in fact it is rising to a level that they cannot sense. In simple terms, in a world where three dimensional beings live, you would be a five dimenstional being__." Zangetsu assured him_

_Ichigo nodded at this and began moving towards the surface. Soon enough, he awakened and found his father collapsed from the strain. He picked him up and ran to the exit, ready to face Aizen one more time_

-Present Time-

When the energy from Ichigo's transformation cleared, he stood there, his body wrapped in some sort of bandages, his pants looked covered with black powers, black energy was steaming from beneath his legs and right arm and his hair now reached his waist and was pitch black in color

'I still can't sense his power. I have evolved into a being, far beyond that of a soul reaper. Just as two dimensional beings can never interact with three dimensional beings, no soul reaper or human will be able detect my spiritual pressure, unless I delibirately bring my powers down to their level of awareness. Wait a minute, if that is the case then that means, he's at an even higher level than myself?' Aizen thought. "No. No. No. No. No. No. NO! It's Absurd! A mere human can't surpass me! It couldn't possibly be!" he yelled through gritted teeth in disbelief

Ichigo then summoned a black energy blade on his right hand before raising his arm. "Mugetsu." he muttered before slashing the air in Aizen's direction, sending a huge amount of energy at his opponent which nearly cut him two

The energy soon dissipated and something fell to the ground nearby. Ichigo, who was perched on another area, noticed this and flashed to its locations. What he saw however, made his blood run cold. Aizen, whose body was nearly cut in two, regenerated the wound as if it was nothing. To Ichigo's slight relief, Aizen only regenerated at a lower level of power however Ichigo was still worried. As Aizen finally got up, the effects from Ichigo's transformation began to disappear. He could feel it. His body was now slowly beginning to cope with the changes in his spirit energy. He knew he still had time but with his enemy now having partially regenerated and him in no position to fight, things were looking really bad

As Aizen was gloating to Ichigo about how he won, spikes suddenly erupted on his chest. "What the hell is happening? Is it a kid? I don't get it. When was I attacked?" Aizen wondered aloud and for the first time, he actually cursed

"It seems it has finally taken effect." a voice said from somewhere and it came from none other than Kisuke

"Kisuke Urahara, are you responsible for all this?" an enraged Aizen demanded to know

"Yes. I hid that kido behind another kido and shot it into your body. What I put in is a seal. I knew that once you fused with the hogyoku, killing you would end up being very difficult if not impossible. So I created a new kido for the sole purpose of sealing you off." Kisuke answered him

"Is that so? Too bad. I'd hate to disappoint you but at this moment I'm about to evolve even further than you can imagine. As much as you think you're in control of things, you won't be able to seal me off, with this level of kido." Aizen said while yelling at the last part before suddenly, the white parts of his body was cracking and disappearing, slowly reverting him to his original form. "What? What's happening to me"

"It is the hogyoku's will. The seal is only now taking effect and it is all because of Ichigo. Now that you are in a severely weakened state. The hogyoku is saying that it does not recognize you as its master." Kisuke said

"You're wrong. It can't be. It's impossible. I control this power." Aizen muttered in disbelief before yelling in pain as the spikes in chest transformed into energy swords that pierce him from behind. From the ground, some sort of substance was slowly emerging and swirling around Aizen. It was Kisuke's seal. Aizen tried to resist but it was futile. Soon enough, Aizen disappeared and was sealed off. The only thing that remained at his location were three swords that pierced each other's blades

Ichigo on the other hand, was feeling a bit guilty, knowing that he was deceiving the one person who helped him a lot through his whole life

Unknown to everyone, someone was watching the whole confrontation since Ichigo decided to activate the final getsuga tensho. It was a pale man with half a helmet on his head. It was Ulquiorra. He hid his spiritual pressure since arriving at the soul society. 'Interesting, Ichigo Kurosaki. It seems that Aizen really had good reason to be interested in you.' he thought as he observed that fight. He prepared to interfere when Aizen began to regenerate and Ichigo's transformation was disappearing before noticing something. 'What? Even after using a technique like that, your power is still increasing? What the hell is going on?' he didn't want to believe it and for good reason as Ichigo appeared to be unable to fight but his pesquisa was telling him otherwise. He once again readied himself to interfere before noticing the strange spikes on Aizen's chest and Kisuke appeared. Ulquiorra then stayed his hand and observed the discussion between the three. When Aizen was sealed away, he opened a garganta and returned to Las Noches, all the while remaining undetected by the three present

Later, Ichigo and Kisuke were discussing about Aizen's motives. Ichigo had a rough idea of what it was but Kisuke chose not to respond, worried that Ichigo was getting too sentimental. After their little chat, Ichigo's friends arrived and just when he was about to greet them, he collapsed right in front of everybody

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**Hope you enjoyed that. This is the end of the prologue so to speak. A very long prologue anyway. The next chapter will begin on what I really have planned for the story so stay tuned for that. Also the next chapter might be delayed by a few days. I suspect that my school is gonna give a bunch of annoying projects this week but I'm not sure about that yet**


	15. Chapter 14

**Here is the next chapter. I kinda enjoyed writing this one so I hope you guys enjoy it too**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

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**Chapter 14 - Revelations**

Ichigo had just collapsed right in front of everybody. As expected, they all rushed to him in an attempt to wake him up. Soon it became clear that Ichigo was not gonna wake up

"Kisuke Urahara, do you know what happened to Ichigo?" Uryu asked the shopkeeper

Kisuke remained silent for a while before giving a sad sigh. "It is the result of his power." he said which drew everyone's attention. "In order to gain enough power to defeat Aizen, Ichigo used a technique that uses all of his spirit energy and reach a level that was even greater than Aizen's. The price however, is very high, for in a matter of weeks or even days, Ichigo will lose all of his powers. He won't even be able to spirits once all of his spirit energy fades away."

-Ichigo's Inner World-

Ichigo lay there, unconscious on the said of one of the skyscrapers. After some time, a very long time, he finally awoke and he found himself in his inner world. To his surprise however, it wasn't the same as last time. All the buildings were now back to beings skyscrapers and there was no sign of the ocean that remained. Even the sun was now shining brightly in his inner world

"This place... It's back to normal." Ichigo muttered and got up

"That's right. Your inner world has been slowly starting to return to normal since you acquired the final getsuga tensho." Zangetsu said from behind him which caused Ichigo to turn around. He was however surprised at what he saw. Zangetsu looked a bit younger than usual and standing next to him was White, who looked the same as the last time he saw him except his mask is now gone and only the horns remained

"**You sure did take your sweet time to wake up didn't you Ichigo?**" White said mockingly before giving his classic eerie laugh

This made Ichigo frown a bit. "How long have I been unconscious?" he asked

"Quite some time Ichigo. One hour and forty six minutes to be exact." Zangetsu answered him

"The others are gonna be so worried about me." Ichigo said guiltily. "I suppose there you're not gonna let me go out there and say high are you?" he asked

"**Of course not."** White answered with a massive grin

Zangetsu just shook his head at this before giving a more reasonable response. "It is too risky Ichigo. As you already know, your power is now surging through your body. This rise in power will take some time before you can withstand it. If you go out there right now, you will die, from your own power." Zangetsu said

Ichigo slumped down in defeat before sitting down. "You told me I shouldn't trust the soul society right?" he asked looking at White. "Why is that?"

"**You sure are forgetful Ichigo. Didn't I tell you we would reveal everything from the start and now you are asking about the soul society."** White mocked him

"Yes. It is time Ichigo. However, for you to understand why we told you not to trust the soul society, you will have to know everything from the very beginning of your story. So keep calm while we reveal everything to you." Zangetsu told Ichigo who just nodded

"**Just a few things to note before we begin, Ichigo. First off, do not blame your father for any decisions that he made. Since your story has a lot to do with what he did, do not hold any ill will towards him as he did it to protect you. Second, when Aizen told you that he has known about you since you were born, he wasn't lying or trying to manipulate you. As a matter of fact, you wouldn't even be born if it wasn't for him, indirectly anyway. Third, when we told you how to get the final getsuga tensho you didn't need to committ to push away the soul society. All you really needed to get it, was a strong bond with us and for you to accept us."** White stated before anything was said

"What? So you're saying I can actually trust them?" Ichigo got up as he asked with a bit of hope which would be shot down almost immediately

"No. Do not trust the soul society Ichigo. Never trust them. Telling you to distrust them during our last encounter was just White messing with you. I only agreed to it because it was a good opportunity for you to distance yourself from them after the whole mess." Zangetsu answered which saddened Ichigo a bit and to which White just grinned at

"Oh. Okay." Ichigo said in disappointment before sitting down again

"**Don't cry Ichigo."** White mocked him again. "**In a few moments, you will actually realize that distancing yourself from them will be a wise decision. Now then, shall you tell it or will I?**" White said the last part to Zangetsu

"I will do it. Now Ichigo." he said, getting Ichigo's attention. "Are you ready to learn the truth that has been hidden from you?" he asked

"I am." Ichigo sternly said

"Very well then. Your story began twenty years ago in Naruki City. Back then, it was a peaceful time, or so everyone thought. All of the soul reapers who were stationed in the city have been mysteriously killed. Your father, at the time, was a captain of the thirteen court guard squads and his real name is Isshin Shiba." Zangetsu said

This came at a great surprise to Ichigo. Never did he once imagine that his father was related to the woman who help him enter the seireitei in the first place. "What? Dad was part of the Shiba clan? So he knows Kukaku and the others?"

Zangetsu looked at White for a moment who simply nodded. "Yes. Your father was in fact, the head of a branch of the Shiba clan. Back to the matter at hand, when your father was told about the deaths of the soul reapers, he went on an unauthorized mission to investigate the matter himself. Soon however, he discover who was a killer. It was a hollow who's spiritual pressure would rival even the espadas. This hollow however, was not a naturally born hollow. It was created by none other than Sosuke Aizen in his research for hollowfication."

"What did you just say? Aizen created a hollow?" Ichigo asked in surprise

"**I did tell you he was indirectly responsible for your birth Ichigo.**" White said while sharpening his claws

"Indeed. The purpose of this hollow was to find a strong soul like the visored and infect them with a hollowfication venom. The hollow found its prey in the form of your father. Isshin fought this hollow and he was overpowered. When your father attempted to use his bankai to even the playing field, he was attacked by Aizen, who had concealed himself with the surroundings using a cloak made by Kisuke and mixing some kido with it. With the wound Aizen inflicted on him, your father was unable to use his bankai."

"What do you mean by 'unable to use'? Ichigo asked

"**Your father's bankai puts a massive strain on his body, at least that is until he learns more about it.**" White answered for him

"To be more precise, your father is unable to use his bankai if he is too injured but as White said, if you're father decides to learn more about his bankai then he won't be restricted to use it only when he is in good condition. Continuing on, even with the injury your father had, he was still able to fight the hollow on equal grounds. Eventually, the hollow gained the upper hand and would have killed him if not for the arrival of a girl who at the time, was about your age, Ichigo. This girl however was no ordinary girl. She was a quincy." Zangetsu continued on

"What? A quincy helping a soul reaper? I thought they hated soul reapers." Ichigo wondered in surprise

"**Do you even understand what he means Ichigo? This girl that came to your father's aid, was none other than your mother, Masaki Kurosaki.**" White pointed out

This really was a massive bomb that was dropped on Ichigo. First he thought that his dad was just a complete idiot but the truth is he is a soul reaper and a former captain, and now this. Hearing that his mother was a quincy made Ichigo speechless and he looked like he just seen a ghost. "My mother... was a quincy?" Ichigo said when he finally got over his shock

"That's right. When you're mother arrived on the scene, she singled handedly defeated the hollow by inviting it to attack her before hitting with with an arrow at point blank range."

"How did she survive the attack? I thought the hollow was strong enough to nearly kill my dad?"

"**Quincys have an ability called 'Blut', Ichigo and it can be used both offensively and defensively. Offensively, it is called 'Blut Arterie' and it increase the power of any attack a quincy uses while it is activated. Defensively, it is called 'Blut Vene'. This ability is rather similar to a hollow's hierro. The only significant difference is that the quincy has to consciously activate this ability while a hierro is always active."**

**"**Yes. Using her Blut Vene, your mother was able to withstand the hollow's bite before she killed it. However, instead of simply dying, the hollow instead self destructed."

"Self destructed? Then does that mean that my mother was severely injured by this?"

"No. Your father actually protected her from the blast. After the battle, they introduced each other as a soul reaper and a quincy however they did not know each other's name yet. Isshin had to return to the soul society to give his report and Ryuken Ishida had your mother go home."

"Ryuken Ishida? Isn't he Uryu's father? How does he know mom?"

"**Your mother was actually betrothed to Ryuken. Forced to be betrothed anyway."**

"What?"

"**To put it simply Ichigo, your mother was betrothed to Ryuken in order to preserve the pure quincy blood line. You see, there are two types of quincys, pure and mixed blood. We will tell you about them after we finish your little origin story." **White said to Ichigo before looking at Zangetsu and nodding at him

"When the hollow self destructed, it actually chose your mother to be the victim of its hollowfication venom. A few days later, your mother showed signs of hollowfying and collapsed. It was also at this time that your father on another unauthorized visit in order to give his gratitude to her. However when he arrived, your mother was collapsed and Ryuken Ishida was desperately trying to find a way to save her and was also blaming your father for what had happened. Fortunately, Kisuke Urahara arrived and offered a solution. Masaki was never gonna be normal again but she can be saved. At this point your mother was already a quincy and a hollow so the only way to restore her to normal was to have a being that was the opposite to what she was: a human and a soul reaper."

"Opposite? What do you mean by that?"

**"Just a simply truth about the different creatures Ichigo. Hollows are the polar opposites of humans. Where humans usually live out most of their lives through emotions, hollows do so with instinct. The being opposite to a quincy is a soul reaper."**

"Indeed. This is where the power you have been weilding originated. In order to save Masaki, your father entered a special gigai created by Kisuke Urahara. This gigai would use your father's spiritual powers and suppress her hollowfication until the day that she dies."

"The day she dies? So does that mean that dad regained his powers when she died all those years ago?"

"No. He did not. For you see, Ichigo, Kisuke Urahara designed the gigai so that it would suppress someone's inner hollow. However, that was for an ordinary inner hollow. The hollow that your father fought did not die when it self destructed. Instead, it transferred its consciousness inside your mother, meaning it became from what was assumed to be an ordinary hollow into an inner hollow. Your mother, was at a great risk of dying. Even if she fought the hollow and defeated it inside her soul, she would not hollowfy and instead die."

"Why would she die instead of becoming a hollow hybrid like me and the visored?"

**"Just a simple fact Ichigo. Quincys cannot undergo hollowfication. In fact, the very essence of a hollow is poison to the quincies. Unlike soul reapers who can undergo hollowfication, quincies cannot do it. Even if they wanted to they couldn't. If a quincy tries to undergo hollowfication, they will die instead."**

"Yes. That is why instead of letting her fight the hollow, Kisuke Urahara opted to suppress it instead with Isshin sacrificing his soul reaper powers and became a human and soul reaper hybrid. The reason why you're father did not regain his powers when your mother died, was because at that time it was no longer inside her."

"Wait, are you saying that..."

"That's right, Ichigo. When you were conceived of, the hollow transferred itself over to you, and merged with the soul reaper powers you inherited from your father. He is your true zanpakuto. The real Zangetsu."

"Hold on a minute, if he is both my inner hollow and my zanpakuto and my mother was a quincy, then does that mean that you are..."

"**That's right Ichigo. He is the manifestation of your quincy powers you inherited from your mother. As I mentioned, quincies cannot undergo hollowfication. So when I merged with your soul reaper powers and became Zangetsu, your quincy powers didn't have anywhere to go as it is not compatible with a hollow. Instead it just remained dormant deep within your soul. However, because of my massive power, being a creature that is a hybrid a high level hollow and a captain class soul reaper's power, your quincy powers gained a manifestation that is not too different from a soul reaper having a manifestation of their zanpakuto. Because of this, instead of him being the one suppressed, it was me."**

"The fact of the matter is, he is not a part of me, I am a part of him. While the both of us are a part of your power, I would not have become what I am if it wasn't for his monstrous power. However, since he was still being suppressed, I decided to aid Isshin's power in suppressing him as well. What only I noticed, is that you have slowly been absorbing your father spirit energy to the point that it was very weak when he regained it."

"So you have been suppressed? I thought he was a part of you so why did you allow yourself to be suppressed? And if you were suppressed how were you so active after rescuing Rukia?" Ichigo asked the hollow

"**I already told you Ichigo, all that I have done is for your benefit, even allowing myself to be suppressed was for your own good."**

"It is also the reason why I was able to suppress him as well Ichigo. If he didn't want to, he could have prevented me from doing so in the first place. Since he let me do it, I decided to manipulate the spirit energy that was inside you, both your father's and your own. It was inevitable that your soul reaper powers would be awakened given who Sosuke Aizen was so I set things up so that nobody else would know about your true nature by pretending to be your zanpakuto. When you met Rukia, it is most likely just one of Aizen tricks to see if you were a soul reaper or not. The reason when Rukia lost most of her powers when she tried to give it to you, was because of your own latent power. Since you were still absorbing your father's spirit energy, you also absorbed most of hers. This addition of power is what stopped your inner hollow from surfacing during your first few weeks of being a soul reaper. When Byakuya Kuchiki severed you from Rukia's power, that was the time your hollow was finally rising from dormancy and when Kisuke Urahara put you through the shattered shaft, all it did was accelerate the process. When you finally began your hollowfication in your fight against Byakuya Kuchiki, that was the time when your father's spirit energy returned to him although it was in a very weakened state. He just assumed it was a side effect of being away from his powers for so long."

"I get it now." Ichigo said, finally understand the truth about himself but something was still left unanswered. He turned to his hollow and asked. "If you are my zanpakuto, why were you trying to destroy me before?"

"**I am your zanpakuto Ichigo so I know you better than anyone. Tell me honestly, all of the things that I have taught you, would you have actually taken it to heart if I simply told it to your face?"**

This effectively made Ichigo quiet. "Well I..." he began to mutter before he was cut off

"**There you go. If you learned about this sooner, the first thing you would do is go to your father and yell at his face and demanding for answers. All of the things I have had you do Ichigo, was simply for you to learn how to think things through so you would not do anything reckless."**

Ichigo was quiet for a moment before finally asking a question that has been bother him since he learned who his mother was. "If my mother was a quincy, then how come that hollow, Grandfisher, was able to kill her so easily?" he asked. Ichigo was not particularly sure if the hollow did it easily, but from the way it was bragging, it was a good assumption

"Shall I explain this part?" old man Zangetsu asked White

"**I'll do it. He still has to hear about that part anyway."** White answered before looking at Ichigo. "**Ichigo, to answer this question, we will first have to tell you about why I told you not to trust the soul society otherwise this will not make much sense."**

"Alright. I was just about to ask that anyway."

"**Okay then. Ichigo, do you remember what that white haired captain told you when he gave you that badge? He said 'there have been other instances where substitutes have been deemed useful'. If that is the case, where are the other substitute soul reapers? Have you thought about that?"**

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Again kindly review. The next chapter might be delayed by a few days. I just found out that we have some stuff to do this week. However I will try my best to release the next one on my usual schedule


	16. Chapter 15

**Finally. I finished this part. Hope you enjoy it**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

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Chapter Fifteen - Revelations II

"**If that's the case, where are the other substitute soul reapers?**"

Ichigo went quiet for few moments while pondering about what he was asked. "Now that you mention it, where are they? I never really got the chance to think about this with you constantly trying to devour me and then the arrancars appeared."

"**I know and I don't blame you for that. Also at the time, you were still a bigger dumbass than you are now." **White said with a grin

"Hey!"

"Ichigo." Zangetsu called out and prevented what could have been a pointless argument. "Tell us, why did you think he had your combat pass destroyed?"

"Uh so I will be forced to learn how to control my spiritual pressure?"

"That was part of it but the real reason is..."

"**Because it wasn't a combat pass at all. It was a device that was controlling your spirit energy."**

**"**What did you just say? It was controlling my spirit energy? How exactly?"

"**To be precise, at the time, you had almost zero control over your spirit energy. This means that if you are ever agitated, your spirit energy rages out of control and unless you calm yourself quickly, it will eventually destroy everything around you. This also means that your spirit energy is constantly fluctuating. However, whenever you come into contact with the pass, within about six to eight hours, your spirit energy is kept at a constant level. This normally would not be an issue but instead of it being the same level every time, it becomes different in the hours after you touch the pass. This can only mean that..."**

"That it was being actively controlled by someone, right?"

"**That's right Ichigo. And try to guess who that someone is."**

"The soul society..."

"That's right. If a simple device like that was able to actively control your spirit energy, then what do you think is its true function?"

"Well, I'm not really sure." Ichigo said while scratching his head

Both Zangetsu and White facepalmed at this. The answer is perfectly obvious and somehow Ichigo doesn't know. In his annoyance, White flashed to Ichigo and launched a few kicks but Ichigo was able to dodge them all.

"What the hell's your problem?" Ichigo grumbled

"**My problem is that you are a complete idiot. You should already know the answer and yet how in the world do you not know." **White responded. Before he could attack again Zangetsu interrupted

"Alright. That's enough." Zangetsu said which broke up the bickering. "Ichigo, the real purpose of this device was surveillance and control. In other words, the soul society was keeping an eye on you through the combat pass."

"**Exactly. You don't like being spied on, do you Ichigo?"**

**"**Spying on me? Why in the hell would they do that?"

Both Zangetsu and White looked at each other, contemplating on whether or not it would be a good idea to tell Ichigo. "**Right now we are just theorizing. Based on what that captain said, previous substitute soul reapers have been given the pass. If that is true, then the most likely explanation is that the previous substitutes turned against the soul society and are in hiding. I say in hiding and not dead is because of what transpired when the soul society gave you the pass."**

"Just what exactly do you mean by that? And what does that Aizen incident have to do with the substitute soul reapers being alive?"

"To put it simply Ichigo, when the pass was given to you, the soul society could not afford to have you as an enemy since three of their own betrayed them. So with this in mind, why would they risk you turning against them if you found out they have been spying on you?"

"**I'll answer that for you. Because the pass was meant to be a long term goal of some sort. In other words, the soul society knows that the previous substitutes will make contact with you and when that happens, they would then kill all of you substitutes."**

"What? Why would they do that? I thought substitute soul reapers would be on their side as well?"

"That was most certainly the case Ichigo. However, the other substitutes must have realized that the soul society was spying on them and decided to lay low and turn against them. This pass also shows how much they don't trust anyone outside of the soul society, Kisuke and the visored excluded. Since they were spying on the substitutes, this also means that they are making sure that they will know immediately if the substitute is gonna turn on them."

"**Based on this, the true purpose of the pass is to lure out the other substitutes from hiding and like we said, the soul society would then kill you. If you think this is bad enough Ichigo, it gets worse. The soul society does not consider you as an ally. The whole time, they only saw you as a sword to point at Aizen or to be more accurate, their failsafe."**

"And how would you know that? They came to help me save Orihime right?"

"**Are you sure they went there to help you rescue Orihime? If so they why did they let you go to hueco mundo alone? If they were serious about rescuing her, they would have told you to standby while they would select personnel and given the situation, that should not have taken more than an hour. That excuse that they needed Kisuke to stabilize the garganta was downright pathetic. You were already on the same level as a captain and Kisuke allowed you to pass through it, meaning captains can also use it safely. And to be quite honest Ichigo, I think the soul society wants Orihime dead, well the captains anyway."**

Ichigo was speechless at this information and for good reason. "What makes you say that?" he said after finally finding his voice

"Because of her personality Ichigo. The truth is, she is just too... nice."

"And what is wrong with that?"

"**Isn't it obvious Ichigo? If you are too nice, then people will easily be able to take advantage of you. True her ability to heal might be unmatched but she is so naive. Hell even Aizen was able to use that naivete and tricked her into going to hueco mundo."**

**"**How do you know that?"

"**It is the only explanation Ichigo. That girl is head over heels for you. Obviously she was tricked into thinking you would be killed so she agreed to go to hueco mundo to protect you. If she had half a brain she would have known better. This naivete is something the soul society cannot afford. Since she is not part of the thirteen court guard squads and thus not directly under their command, they cannot have her power used against them. Even though they can benefit greatly from her healing which surpasses even Unohana's, if it can be used by their enemies as well, then it is better to just get rid of her. In fact, I'm certain the only reason that the soul society even aided you in hueco mundo, was to ensure that you do not get a bad opinion of them even though you already had one."**

"Don't forget the failsafe part. We're not exactly sure how, but the soul society somehow knows that you have not been exposed to Kyoka Suigetsu's shikai. This means that you are the only one who can actually fight and defeat Aizen."

"**So do you understand Ichigo? You never had any allies in them. In fact, the only allies you have would be Kisuke, Isshin and Aizen."**

"Aizen? Why him?"

"Like I mentioned earlier, Aizen knows everything about you. Shinji also previously said that the soul society ordered to execute them simply because they were no longer pure soul reapers through no fault of their own. I am certain only Aizen and the other two captains who were with him know the truth along with Kisuke and Isshin. With this in mind, if the soul society had known about your heritage, do you really think that the soul society would let you live considering you are part hollow?"

"**That's not even counting the part that despite being a hollow and soul reaper hybrid, you are also a quincy. Not to mention the fact that your power surpasses even that moronic head captain. In fact, compared to yours, his power would look nothing more like a children's trick."**

Caught off guard by the last statement, Ichigo just stood there, mouth agape. "Wha... I uhh."

"**If you keep up like that you're mouth is gonna catch flies."** White mocked him which also caused Zangetsu to smile a bit

With that last mockery, Ichigo finally was able to form a complete sentence. "Shut up. Just tell me what you meant when you said I am more powerful than the old man."

White just laughed at Ichigo's annoyance while Zangetsu still kept his smile. "Ichigo, do you remember what I said earlier? Your own true powers have been sealed away using your father's and Rukia's spirit energy. And as a natural born hybrid of a hollow, soul reaper and quincy, you possess powers that are beyond what most have, including the head captain. However, you still know next to nothing about it. That is why when we finish telling you everything, we will teach you the most important ones."

"My power surpasses the old man's? Is that even possible?"

"**Well to be fair when you had the final getsuga tensho, you were already more powerful than him. And if you think is fire abilities are cool, just you wait til you learn exactly what I can do. Just to put it into perspective Ichigo, when you finally learn how to control at least half of your mixed powers, you will be able to bring everyone in the soul society to their knees with just your spiritual pressure alone, the moronic old man included. Well maybe the last part was a bit of exaggeration. I think you would need to know everything about your power to bring the old man to his knees."**

Understandably, Ichigo was once again surprised at this. Who wouldn't be. Yamamoto was the strongest soul reaper and somehow Ichigo was stronger than him. He was finally brought out of his trance when someone a voice called out. "Now Ichigo. I believe there is one last thing we have not told you about. Are you ready for this?"

"It's about my mother's death isn't it? Just tell me about it already."

"Very well then. The real reason your mother died was because of me, or to be more accurate, the man whom I resemble."

"Who is this guy? And why do you look like him?" Ichigo asked in a surprisingly calm manner

"**That's a surprise. I would have thought you would be furious at that. At any rate, the reason is because he is the progenitor of of the quincies, the son of the soul king, the king of the quincies and his blood flows through every quincy, Yhwach, the sealed king of the quincy."**

"So the reason you look like this Yhwach guy is because his blood flows through all quincies?"

"Yes. As a matter of fact Ichigo, even for a quincy, you are unique. Usually a quincy would not have a manifestation of their own powers unlike a soul reaper, however, because of your hollow's monstrous power, your quincy powers was able to gain sentience and it took on the form of Yhwach from one thousand years ago, and that is who I am."

"I see. So what does he have to do with my mother's death? And why and where is he sealed?"

"**You know, I'm almost proud that you are my master, Ichigo but don't let that get to your head."** White commented which made Ichigo smile. "**To be perfectly honest Ichigo, the title of 'sealed king' is just a lie. The truth is he was defeated in battle, and his quincies hid him away until he made a recovery and regain his powers."**

"Defeated in battle? By whom?"

"By head captain Genryusai Yamamoto." Zangetsu answered him which shocked Ichigo again. "One thousand years ago, the thirteen court guard squads did not exist yet. The only ones who present were thirteen fighters who were nearly as strong as Yamamoto. Yhwach and his quincies declared war upon these thirteen fighters and were defeated. Yhwach was severely injured by Yamamoto's bankai but his powers allowed him to survive. After they were defeated, they fled and created an empire while awaiting the return of their king."

"By Yamamoto? So he is that strong. And where did the quincies flee to?"

"**To the soul society. They have been hiding there for nearly a thousand years."**

"What? How in the hell did they manage to hide right under the thirteen court guard squad's noses? And why Yhwach still hasn't fully regained his powers yet?"

"**I'm not sure if you are aware Ichigo, but quincies fight using the ambient reishi. Since the soul society is made of of reishi, they manipulated it, and created an empire within the shadows of the soul society. The place they chose to create their empire, was concidentally, the same place that would later be known as the seireitei."**

**"**I get it. So the quincies chose the location first before the thirteen fighters did right? Still, it doesn't answer why he took so long to recover?"

"As I said Ichigo, Yhwach was defeated by Yamamoto's bankai and survived only because of his powers. For you see, the power of Yamamoto's bankai is to clad both his body and blade with very intense heat, and anything that comes into contact with him or the blade, it will instantly be burned to ashes. However, Yhwach has an ability that is even more dangerous than that. His ability is to shape the future into what he desires."

"What? How is that even possible?"

"**The future is not set in stone Ichigo and there are millions of possibilites. With every decision, a different future is created. To be precise, Yhwach's ability is to see every single event and then making certain events happen to get the future he wants. Think of it like Byakuya's bankai. The blades of his bankai would be an event, and when he selects which blades to merge to form a sword, that would be the future. Or in simple terms, think of it like how Aizen manipulates people except there would be fewer blind spots. And his ability is callled 'The Almighty'."**

**"**Indeed. With this ability, he was able to survive the battle. However, like I mentioned, Yamamoto's power is vast and as such it took him nearly one thousand years just to regain consciousness. This is how your mother died Ichigo. For you see, after the war between the quincies and soul reapers, the quincies divided into two groups, the first are the ones who remained loyal to Yhwach and awaited his return and the second are the ones that remain in the world of the living, who simply chose to move on with their lives and live in peace."

"So what does this have to do with my mother's death?"

"After nearly a thousand years, Yhwach finally regained consciousness, however, he still has not regained his power. In order to regain his power, he conducted a ritual known as Auswahlen. This is a ritual that can only be performed by the king of the quincies. The nature of this ritual is any quincy deemed unnecessary will have their powers stolen and return to their progenitor and he conducted this ritual in the world of the living."

"Wait, so that means that..."

"That's right Ichigo. As unfortunate as it is, your mother was in the wrong place at the wrong time. When the both of you encountered Grand Fisher, that was the moment the Auswahlen was performed."

Ichigo was trembling with rage at this. His mother, killed by a very weak hollow, all because someone deemed her unnecessary. "Dad knows about this, didn't he?" Ichigo asked to which both Zangetsu and White nodded. "Why wouldn't he tell me any of this?"

"Your father was just doing what any parent would have done Ichigo and that is to protect his children even if in doing so, it would severely strain their relationship."

"**While we are not parents Ichigo, we can relate to that feeling. After all, we did lie to you to keep you safe."**

Ichigo looked down in defeat. When he thinks about it, it was probably for the best at the time that he did not know about it. "I guess you're right." Ichigo said after realizing that his father basically abandoned the thirteen court guard squads to protect his mother. "Wait a minute, you said Yhwach has regained his powers, does that mean..."

"Yes. It is only a matter of time before he makes his return known."

"**And everyone, will feel it, regardless if you're a soul reaper, quincy, hollow or a human."**

**"**And his goal is to kill the soul king. If he succeeds, the three worlds, the human world, the soul society and hueco mundo would all collapse."

**"**So how am I supposed to fight someone who can literally see the future?"

"The Almighty may be powerful Ichigo, but it has some noticeable blind spots. The first is, the number of possibilities are endless and while his power allows him to see every single one, he can only look at a few thousand at a time. So to exploit this, you just have to not make yourself known to him, or at least make him think you are not a threat."

**"And the second is, while his ability would allow him to immediately understand his opponent's power, he has to at least have some idea what he is dealing with. The reason for this is quite simple, despite the endless possibilites, you can never prepare for all of them. Even if he tries to, his own countermeasures might work against him if he prepared for the wrong one. As such, the key to defeating Yhwach is to catch him by surprise and to do that there is only one way, you must pretend like you are just now a normal human in order to avoid his notice and strike him down when he least expects it."**

"I guess that makes sense. Truthfully, after what you've told me about the soul society, I'm no longer keen on helping them on this war. But I'm still not gonna attack them first unless they do something stupid. Is there a way for me to keep an eye on them while not making myself known?"

"As I would expect from you Ichigo. And yes, there is a way for you to do that."

"Then how?"

"**Well, your spiritual pressure cannot be sensed unless you allow it to so that alone gives you a massive advantage already. However, while this allows you to remain undetectable, you can still be noticed if someone sees you."**

"So the time has come, Ichigo, are you ready to learn about the power that has been hidden inside you? This is the only way for you to be able to deal with both the soul society and Yhwach."

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**There you have it. I decided to put some blind spots on the Almighty and I don't think that it is pretty unreasonable. Kindly review as usual**


	17. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

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**Chapter Sixteen - So it Begins**

-Unknown Location, Some time after Aizen defeated the captains-

Two mean walked around a building, eventually reaching an apartment. Entering the room, they met with their colleagues. The room itself was a big one for an apartment room. It even had its own mini bar inside

One of their colleagues was arranging the stuff on the bar. He appeared to be a middle aged man who wears some sort of eye patch on his right eye

Another one of them was blonde young kid who was just playing on his video game console, and seemingly not paying attention to the arrivals

The third was a magenta haired young girl who was walking back and forth until the two arrived

The last one was a dark skinned woman, who was just lounging on the couch and doing literally nothing

"It's about time Ginjo. We've been waiting here for nearly four hours now." Riruka grumbled

"I am sorry. Observing him was more interesting than we had anticipated. He will certainly prove to be of use to us." Ginjo replied

The barkeep decided to stop his task for now and joined in on the conversation. "So Ginjo, Tsukishima, have you found our target?"

"Yes. His name is Ichigo Kurosaki from Karakura Town." Tsukishima replied

Noticing that the Yukio was ignoring the whole conversation, Jackie called out. "Hey Yukio. Can you stop that for a minute and join us in?"

"Yeah whatever." Yukio simply replied, not caring about the whole ordeal

"He's always like this." Jackie muttered. "So Ginjo, have you found anything other than our targets name?"

"Unfortunately not. Karakura Town is not here right now. The soul society have replaced it with a fake for a battle that took place. We will not be able to do anything until it is returned here." Ginjo answered

"Why would we even need this guy anyway? I think it's too much trouble for one guy." Riruka grumbled

"You always say that after what happened to you during your childhood." Yukio muttered while still playing his video game

Riruka was insulted at this and began to yell at Yukio. "Shut it Yukio!" she yelled but Yukio ignored her which only infuriated her further. "Hey, don't ignore me when I'm talking to you." she grumbled and walked towards him

"Those two are always like this." Giriko sighed. "So what would be our move now Ginjo?"

"For now, all we can do is wait. One Karakura Town is returned to this world, we will rent a place there and we will rotate on who stays. Once there, we must then gather what we can on Ichigo Kurosaki before making our move. It would just backfire on us if we go unprepared." Ginjo replied

"That seems like a reasonable move to me." Tsukishima agreed. "Ginjo, I think you should stay out of Karakura Town, until we are sure nothing is happening."

"Why is that?"

"In case thing don't go our way. We would be compromised if the soul society sees you. You should stay here while we scout the town and wait until we are sure no one significant from the soul society is active in the town." Tsukishima answered him

"That is a good point Tsukushima. Very well then. The rest of you will go first." Ginjo said to the others. "Tsukishima, you take the last shift and make sure nobody is there to cause us trouble. Also have Shishigawara with you just in case."

-Unknown Location, a few hours after Aizen's defeat-

A man was walking down a corridor of a giant fortress. The fortress itself seemed odd place. It appeared to be frozen but it wasn't cold. The fortress was massive and it even appear to rival the seireitei in size. After a few minutes of walking, the man itself arrived at two giant doors. The door opened and he entered and knelt

Inside was a pretty large room, with the far end having an ascending staircase and throne at the end of it. A man was seated on the throne. Below him was another man, with blonde hair who appears to be his advisor. The both of them observed the man who just entered the room

"Report." Jugram Haschwalth said

"Your Majesty, Sternritter Grandmaster, the battle between Sosuke Aizen and Ichigo Kurosaki has ended. Aizen was defeated and Kisuke Urahara sealed him away. At the end of their conflict, it appears that Ichigo Kurosaki is slowly losing his powers." the newcomer, Askin asked

"I see. What is the status of the daten?" Yhwach asked

"About ninety percent finished, Your Majesty. We are just making minor adjustments based on recent events. It will be finished by the end of the week." Askin answered

"Once the daten is finished, give it to me. I will inspect it first before we distribute it to the other sternritters." Haschwalth ordered

"Very well then." Askin replied

"If that is all, you may leave now." Yhwach said

Askin rose and gave a quick bow before leaving the room, with the door closing behind him

"Haschwalth." Yhwach called out which grabbed his attention. "I want you to select one of the sternritters and have him or her come here once the daten is finished. I have something that needs to be done."

"As you wish, Your Majesty." Haschwalth replied. "I would suggest sternritter E, Bambietta Basterbine. Her habits are getting out of hand."

"Very well then. Do not tell anyone about this. This mission must be kept secret until we begin the invasion." Yhwach said

"Yes, Your Majesty."

-Sternritter E's room, three days later-

The daten of the wandenreich was completed the previous day and after inspection by Haschwalth, was given to all members of the sternritters.

Bambietta Basterbine was just sitting on the bed on her room. Something has been on her mind ever since she received a copy of the daten. 'His Majesty wants to wage war on the soul society and kill the soul king, but it doesn't make sense. According to this, the soul king is what holds all the worlds in place. If he were to be killed, it would probably end with the destruction of one if not all worlds. What is His Majesty''s end game?' she pondered while looking at the daten

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock on her door. "Sternritter E, are you in there?" the voice of a soldat called out

"What is it?" she asked

"His Majesty has requested your presence in the throne room immediately." the soldat answered

"Alright. I'll be there in a minute." she answered and left the room once she heard the soldat leave. 'If I ask him about this, I am probably gonna get killed. Does His Majesty have the power to recreate the world? If he does then why does he need the sternritter. It really sucks when the one you serve does not tell you who he is. Then again, I have no choice. If I go out those soul reapers might kill me. Damn it why are things so god damn complicated.' she pondered as she was walking towards the throne room

Soon enough, she reached the throne room. Once she entered she kneeled before the wandenreich's emperor. "You asked for my presence, Your Majesty?"

"I have a mission for you Sternritter E." Yhwach said. "You are to travel to the world of the living, and keep an eye on Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Bambietta immediately answered. "If it is of no trouble, may I ask what is the purpose of this mission? According to the daten, Ichigo Kurosaki is losing his soul reaper powers." she asked

"You would dare question His Majesty?" Haschwalth said while gripping his sword

"It's quite alright Haschwalth. There is no need for that. I think it would be best to explain this in full detail as to avoid unnecessary complications." Yhwach said

"Yes, Your Majesty." Haschwalth said while bowing his head

"Now, Bambietta Basterbine, the purpose of this mission is something that all of us should be aware right now. Ichigo Kurosaki has demonstrated himself to be capable of surpassing everyone's expectations in a short matter of time. With this information, it is imperative that we know every detail about Kurosaki's activities, lest we be caught off guard by him." Yhwach said. "Your mission is to keep an eye on Ichigo Kurosaki and report any suspicious activity concerning Kurosaki, whether or not it is by his own choice or not. If he does become a threat, you are to eliminate him."

Bambietta nodded at this before asking. "Where will I stay in the world of the living, Your Majesty?"

"Some soldats have been ordered to travel to the world of the living. They are preparing a place for you to stay. What you do and how you complete this mission is up to you. Of course, you have to keep a low profile and avoid using any spirit energy or reishi unless you absolutely have no choice." Haschwalth interjected

"I see. So when do I leave?" Bambietta asked

"You will leave in one week and your stay in the world of the living will last until the week before we begin our invasion." Yhwach answered

"Yes, Your Majesty." she nodded

"That is all Sternritter E. You may leave." Yhwach said to which Bambietta nodded and left the room

When Bambietta returned to her room, she found someone lounging around on her bend. It was her fellow sternritter and her only close friend in the wandenreich, Candice Catnipp

"What are you doing here?" Bambietta asked in annoyance before she sat on the chair in her room

"Hey, is that any way to talk to your best friend?" Candice shouted back

Bambietta just rolled her eyes in annoyance. "When did you get here?"

"A few minutes ago. You weren't answering the door so I let myself in. Where were you anyway?" Candice asked

"The throne room. His Majesty gave me a mission." Bambi answered

"Really? What mission, Bambi?"

"To spy on Ichigo Kurosaki. His Majesty is concerned that despite him losing his powers, he might get in our way." Bambi answered in an annoyed

"You don't sound too happy about it?" Candice pondered

"Because it's gonna last until the week before we invade the soul society. This is gonna be a real drag. I don't even know why I was chosen for this one. Spying isn't even something I'm that particularly good at." Bambietta grumbled

"Probably because you keep killing soldats after sleeping with them. Haschwalth probably recommended you to reduce the soldat death count." Candice wondered aloud. Bambi was silent as perhaps Candice did have a point. "I'm not even sure why you're upset about this. Ichigo Kurosaki is pretty hot and maybe..." Candice trailed off

Bambietta was surprised at this and jumped up from her chair. "What the hell Candi!"

"What? Nobody's gonna find out about it. Ichigo seems to be a prude and I highly doubt he would want anyone to know." Candice said in an innocent yet mocking voice

Bambietta was fuming at what Candice what implying and glared at her with a murderous expression on her face while Candice just smirked at her. "Althought, try not to kill him okay? I wanna have some fun too." Candice said mockingly

Bambietta just huffed before realizing something. "That reminds me, where are Meni and the others?"

"I have no idea to be quite honest." Candice admitted thoughtfully

"Whatever. Don't tell them about where I'm going." Bambietta told her

"Uh alright. But why?"

"I just get the feeling that His Majesty doesn't want anyone to know about this. That being said, I also don't want anyone to know especially Gigi."

"Alright, alright. I just tell anyone who asks that you were sent somewhere but I won't say where."

"That's fine."

-Soul Society, sixteen days after Aizen's defeat-

Ichigo woke up in a room he was not familiar with. After getting up, he noticed that nobody was around and he couldn't feel anyone's spiritual pressure heading towards his direction. 'I guess they were right. Even right now, nobody can sense my spiritual pressure otherwise someone would be heading here by now. Where is everyone anyway? Might as well take a walk.' he thought before grabbing his sword and going out

Ichigo then got up and went for a walk. Once outside the room, he realized he was in the Kuchiki manor. 'Surprised that Byakuya would even let me set foot in his house.' he thought while walking around. He did not make any noise and his suspiciouns were now confirmed. Nobody can sense his spiritual pressure. Just to be safe, he decided to release tiny bits of it, just enough to make everyone think he was losing his powers. Thanks to the training his inner spirits gave him in the last fifteen days, he now had near perfect control of his spirit energy

Renji soon arrived at the room where Ichigo was and found it empty. "Ichigo?" he said when he noticed it was empty. "Damn it. Where the hell did you go?" he said while rushing off to tell the others of what was going on

Soon enough, everyone found Ichigo atop Sokyoku Hill. Everyone, including Kisuke, Isshin and Yoruichi. "Ichigo." Rukia called out which grabbed his attention. "What are you doing here?"

"Just enjoying the peace and quiet." Ichigo lied to their face. He didn't like it one bit but he had no choice

Everyone just smiled at this while watching the sun set. All their troubles were finally over, or so they thought

* * *

**There you have it. I decided to make this rather a peaceful chapter. And before you even bother to ask, I am not gonna ship Ichigo with either of the two quincies. I only decided to give them story arcs because one, they're both hot and two, I did not like how they were treated, especially Bambietta. One more thing, I have next to zero knowledge on how to speak japanese so I will be relying on google translate. So RIP translations**


	18. Chapter 17

**Finally finished this one. I'm gonna respond to some of the questions from the reviews**

**First, at the moment I have on intention of shipping Ichigo with anyone or shipping other characters with one another for that matter. I am actually one of the few or maybe the only one who doesn't like shipping characters. Unless it is a romance anime**

**Second, I am gonna use some of the filler characters. I just wont tell which ones**

**Now to the story**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen - New Enemies at the Horizon**

The next morning, everyone from the human world decided to return home. Surprisingly, only Rukia and Renji were the ones who saw everyone off.

As everyone was walking through the precipice world, Ichigo's inner spirits called out to him. "Ichigo, after a few days, you need to go back to the soul society."

'What? Why?' Ichigo thought in confusion

"**Because the sword you're weilding now isn't your real zanpakuto but one formed from your father's spirit energy coated with your own so it would not be so obvious."** White said

'Okay but why do I have to go back?'

"It is so that you can make your true zanpakuto, Ichigo. Creating your zanpakuto would release a massive burst of reishi. Last time you did it, it was at Kisuke Urahara's shop and he had barriers placed around it so nobody noticed. This time, there won't be any barriers to cover you and it will draw attention if anybody notices. The soul society on the other hand, is filled with reishi that is much higher quality than in the world of the living. Creating your zanpakuto there will most likely not draw attention." Zangetsu explained

'I get it but how do I go back there? Won't everyone notice me if I pass through the senkaimon?'

"**Don't bother using the senkaimon. Just use the garganta to come back. I will teach you later how to use it properly as well as explain the misconceptions everyone has about it."** White told him

'Alright but that will have to wait until everybody settles down.'

After a while everyone arrived at Karakura Town and went their separate ways. When Ichigo arrived home, he greeted his sisters before going to his room and went to sleep. To the others Ichigo may have gotten some rest, but the truth is he got almost zero rest during the whole time he was unconscious as his inner spirits taught him some of his powers that will enable him to lay low

_-Ichigo's Inner World, during the time he was unconscious-_

_"__Alright Ichigo. Let's begin your training. We will only teach you the most important of your powers. We do not have time for you to learn all of your powers so only the ones that will enable you to stay off everyone's radar are the ones we will teach__." Zangetsu said_

_"Alright. I'm ready."_

_"__**Make sure you really are. I want you to close your eyes. Do not open them until you see or hear anything." **__White instructed him_

_"Uhh okay." Ichigo replied with uncertainty but did as he was told nonetheless_

_Moments went by and Ichigo heard nothing. As he was about to ask them what was that about, he suddenly heard the sound of swords clashing against each other. He immediately opened his eyes and found himself on a rooftop of one of the buildings at the fake Karakura Town. What he saw surprised him. It was Isshin, Kisuke and Yoruichi who were thrashed by Aizen. Unlike what had transpired, the three were place in a single location instead of being scattered after being defeated. 'What the hell? Why is this happening again? And how the hell did I get here?' Ichigo thought before the scene before him turned horrifying, for him anyway. Aizen was just about ready to kill drive his sword right through them. Ichigo immediately moved once he noticed but knew he would not be able to arrive on time and to make matters worse, he was only in his shikai form. 'This must be some sort of test. But at my current form, my getsuga tensho won't be enough to even scratch Aizen. Damn it all.' Ichigo thought before swinging his sword in the same manner as he would release a getsuga tensho. To his surprise however, it was not a getsuga that released, but a massive torrent of black flames that raced straight for Aizen and the other three. 'What the hell? Damn it. Stop!' _

_Without any knowledge on how to control the flames, Ichigo was helpless to stop it as it raced towards the four before immediately engulfing them. "DAMN IT! Dad, Kisuke, Yoruichi!" Ichigo yelled in frustration before finally the flames died out and he was shocked to his very core. Only Aizen was affected. The other three were doing just fine while Aizen appeared to have been incinerated by the flames he just unleashed. As Ichigo finally realized that, his inner world appear to be going some sort of distortion before the place before him reverted back to its usual skyscrapers. There was White with his usual grin clapping his hands with Zangetsu beside him as they walked towards Ichigo_

_"What the hell was that Zangetsu?" Ichigo demanded from both spirits_

_"__I apologize for that Ichigo. It was your hollow's way of demonstrating your powers__." Zangetsu said_

_"Demonstrate? By making me think Aizen was gonna kill them?" Ichigo raged_

_"__**Calm down strawberry."**__ White told him. "__**Don't forget, we are gonna teach you about your own powers. What you just witnessed is the most important aspect of your powers. Rather than explain it to you, I decided it would be better if you experienced it first hand.**__"_

_"And just what aspect do you mean?"_

_"__**That unlike most, if not all other zanpakuto, the abilities of yours will only affect those you consider as an enemy, or at the very least ones that you do not consider as allies so this would include people you do not consider an enemy or ally.**__"_

_"What the hell do you mean by that?" Ichigo asked while still have not gotten over what he just saw_

_"__Ichigo, recently, you consider Aizen as an enemy. Since you consider him an enemy, he was incinerated by the flames from your zanpakuto. Isshin, Kisuke and Yoruichi on the other hand, are people you consider as allies, as such they remained unaffected. Another part of this aspect is also you are immune to your own abilities. In the event someone turns your own powers against you, you will remain unaffected by it__." Zangetsu explained_

_Ichigo, after a while, finally calmed down and digested the information. "So my powers are black flames?" Ichigo asked_

_"__**Not necessarily. Those flames are just the most basic of all your abilities and they are controlled in the same way you control your getsuga tensho.**__" White explained to which Ichigo finally realized about when White trained him. "__**In fact the theme or whatever you wanna call it, of your abilities is Yami no Seifuku, the subjugation of darkness."**_

_**"**__Great. I wanna protect those closest to me and my power is darkness." Ichigo grumbled_

_White rolled his eyes at this while Zangetsu just sighed. White then flashed and tried to kick Ichigo which he barely dodged._

_"What in the world are you doing?" Ichigo asked in shock_

_"__**Your powers are nothing..."**__ White declared_

_"Your choice is everything. The choice on what you do with your powers." Zangetsu finished_

_"Choice?"_

_"__That is correct Ichigo. As you should have already learned by now, you always have a choice in what you do. This includes on what you do with your powers. And as White told you before, always keep an open mind and do not limit yourself to what you currently know__." Zangetsu explained_

_Red energy then began to emanate from White and distorted Ichigo's inner world. When the distortion cleared, they all found themselves in the place where he trained during bankai_

_"This is Yoruichi's training area where she trained me for bankai. What are we doing here?" Ichigo asked_

_White then got down on one knee and like when he was here in the real world, countless swords erupted from the ground. "__**You remember this part don't you Ichigo? I want you to do the same. Find your real zanpakuto from among all of these."**_

_"__This time however, it will be different. Last time, you found your zanpakuto was located within you so you pulled it out. However, since we are in your inner world, there is nothing for you to pull out. What you need to do is to concentrate real hard and locate your zanpakuto__." Zangetsu explained _

_"So I have to go around and keep looking for it?" Ichigo asked in confusion_

_"__**No. Just do what you do to locate spiritual pressure Ichigo. Use that method to locate your sword. However, be aware, this will not be as simple as locating someone based on their spiritual pressure. There is something else about this one. I'll leave you to figure it out."**__ White instructed him_

_"Alright. One last question. How would I know if the one I chose is the right one?" Ichigo asked_

_"__Just grab hold of it. When you do, you will realize immediately if it is the right one or not__." Zangetsu answered _

_"Okay then." Ichigo said before trying to concentrate. The swords were now at least twice as many as when Yoruichi trained him_

_'__Are you sure this is how we teach him? He is not aware that he should not be concentrating on spiritual pressure__.' Zangetsu asked White via a mental link they shared_

_'__**Not really. I just wanna show him about it first hand. Explanations can come later once he knows what to do. Besides, it should force him to really think about it. You said it yourself, spiritual pressure isn't what he should be looking for.' **__White responded. '__**How long do you think it'll take him to figure it out?'**_

_**'**__I cannot be certain. The only thing I hope is that he figures it out soon otherwise it might draw suspicion__.' Zangetsu expressed his concerns_

_'__**Yeah. Me too. This whole Yhwach situation really put us in a tight spot.' **__White agreed_

_Ichigo still concentrated on finding any spiritual pressure but could not find anything. The only spiritual pressures in the area were the ones belonging to White and Zangetsu, both of which were not significantly different from his own. 'Damn it, just how am I supposed to find this thing.' he grumbled_

_After a long time of concentrating and finding nothing, Ichigo decided something else. He went around and grabbed hold of one of the swords. Ichigo then realized what Zangetsu meant. When he grabbed hold of it, he could feel nothing, as if it was the sword he used after he first met Rukia. Unlike when he usually hold his zanpakuto, Ichigo could not feel any spirit energy, neither his own nor Zangetsu's, nor his hollow's for that matter_

_Realizing what the 'something else' was, Ichigo decided instead to concentrate on finding any spirit energy. Soon enough, Ichigo learned this was a lot harder than just tracking spiritual pressure. He then decided to go against what he was told and roamed around, grabbing hold of the swords. After a few dozen of them, he was getting frustrated as it did not work. With no other choice, Ichigo calmed himself down and got back to focusing. This time, he tried his best to focus on both locating any spiritual pressure as well as spirit energy from the place_

_Many hours of concentrating eventually passed and Ichigo finally managed to get the hang of it. Once he did, he found traces of spirit energy in one of the swords and it was way on the other side. Flashing to it, the trace moved which irritated Ichigo. He then chased it a few times with every single time it just ran away from him. 'Are you for real? Just how am I supposed to get this thing. Think Ichigo, he said there is something else. Wait, this is my inner world right? I wonder.' Ichigo thought before grabbing one of the swords. He then closed his eyes and focused on the spirit energy he was tracking with the sword in his hand. After a few moments, black flames erupted from the sword and soon it engulfed the whole area_

_When the flames finally died down, Ichigo found himself back on the skyscrapers with Zangetsu and White behind him. _

_"__**Well now. That took you faster than I thought you would. I am impressed**__." White called out_

_"Yeah right. You literally did not tell me what I should be doing." Ichigo complained_

_"__**Don't blame me. I gave you a warning there is something else. It's your fault you did not listen."**__ White mocked him_

_"Hey. There's a difference between a warning and misleading instructions." Ichigo continued to complain_

_"__**Whatever."**_

_"Why did you have me do that anyway?" Ichigo asked_

_"__A few reasons actually Ichigo. The first is, your powers require you to concentrate in order to use effectively. You already succeeded in it when you were able to focus on two things at once in both concentrating something from a distance in conjunction with something you are holding. The second would be for you to enhance your ability to detect spiritual pressure. The last is, well, do you want to say it__?" Zangetsu explained while asking White about the last part_

_"__**Ichigo, tell me. What do you think is the difference between spirit energy and spiritual pressure?" **__White asked_

_"Well. I'm not really sure. I just know it when I encounter it. Maybe spiritual pressure is on the outside and spirit energy is on the inside." Ichigo answered with uncertainty_

_"__**Figures. Can't blame you though. Nobody really bother to tell you this. Ichigo. Basically they are the same with only two differences. The first is what you said."**__ White said which confused Ichigo. Noticing his confused face, White decided to explaing. "__**To be more precise, spiritual pressure is just spirit energy being exerted. The second is, while everything exerts spiritual pressure, not everything has spirit energy."**_

_**"**__What? How do you exert something you don't have?"_

_"__Spirit energy is more complicated than that Ichigo__." Zangetsu joined in. "__The truth of it is spiritual pressure is everywhere. The spiritual pressure you feel that belongs to a certain being is basically the ambient spiritual pressure mixed with that being's spirit energy. The significance of this is that while spiritual pressure can be suppressed, spirit energy cannot be and as you learned, finding spirit energy around you is a very difficult endeavor__."_

_"__**What you just learned to do Ichigo, is the ability called pesquisa."**_

_**"**__What? The pesquisa? I thought only arrancars can do it?" Ichigo said confused_

_"__**Not necessarily Ichigo. Any hollow can learn the pesquisa if they are strong enough but usually they wanna become arrancars first. They don't even realize that things like pesquisa and hierro aren't exclusive to arrancars. They just become one before finding out."**_

_"__Moving on, I think it's time for you to know how to spy on the soul society Ichigo__." Zangetsu said with which White nodded in agreement. "__In order for you to do this Ichigo, you need to concentrate. This is why we had you do what you just did, so you can learn how to use this specific ability. This also means that unlike before, you will not be swinging your sword at random until you defeat your enemy. You will have to learn how to use your powers to give yourself an advantage__."_

_"__**Ichigo, I will tell you the details about your black flames at another time. For now, I will only tell you how to use it to avoid the soul society and the wandenreich's radar. Aside from it only affecting those you consider as enemies, those flames can be used to devour only what you want. So by having the flames devour the light that is in contact with you along with your own shadow, you can effectively hide in plain sight, just like this."**__ White said before summoning his own sword. White flames the came out of the sword and engulfed him, slowly making him disappear from sight starting from the blade. When the flames reached the building they were on, White completely disappeared including his own shadow. "__**You can still hear me, can't you Ichigo?"**_

_"Yeah." Ichigo replied. "I didn't even consider the possibility that my zanpakuto was not a direct combat type."_

_"__**Please. If you think this is cool, just wait until you learn exactly what the nature of these flames are.**__" White said before appearing again_

_"__Ichigo, there is a drawback to using this ability. While it allows you to effectively spy on anyone, you must remain silent while using it and also, you cannot make any offensive action so long as you are invisible. It does give you the element of surprise though__." Zangetsu explained_

_"That's fine. I don't really want to use it like that anyway and I also don't want anyone to find out I can go invisible." Ichigo admitted_

_"__**You know, you're actually getting smarter Ichigo."**__ White said_

_"Well you two have yourselves to blame for that." Ichigo responded with a smile _

_"__Now then, Ichigo. I think you should practice a bit more. Your body still hasn't finished adjusting to your power so this would be a good opportunity to master it." Zangetsu suggested_

_"Makes sense. I'll do that." Ichigo replied and hopped right back to training _

_Much later, Ichigo was told his body finally finished adjusting. He then stopped training and prepared to go back_

_"How long was I out for anyway?" Ichigo asked his inner spirits_

_"__Three hundred and sixty eight hours Ichigo. About sixteen days__." Zangetsu replied_

_"Wow time sure does fly doesn't it. Still feels like it was yesterday when I came here." Ichigo commented_

_"__**Ichigo, before you go, you need to keep a few things in mind. First off, if two beings fight, the one with greater spirit energy can forcefully cancel out the abilities if his opponent is weaker than him. Since you are more powerful than anyone in the soul society, you don't have to worry about this. Just thought you needed to know. Second is, do not tell anyone about what we talked about or that you still have powers, this includes that big boob girl and your father or even Kisuke. The third is once you get back, release a bit of your spiritual pressure but over the course of the next few days, slowly lift it until it becomes undetectable. The last one should be fairly obvious, avoid getting into a fight. You are in no position to fight someone but if you ever get into a fight where you are forced to use your powers, end it quickly."**__ White instructed him_

_"Yeah. I was just thinking about the same thing actually." Ichigo said_

_"__One more thing Ichigo, keep your pesquisa active all the time. Since this only requires concentration, you will be able to use it while in your human body. If you ever detect any spirit energy, you should be able to immediately tell what kind of being it belongs to__." Zangetsu pointed out_

_"Got it. See you guys soon." Ichigo said before waking up where he found himself in the Kuchiki Mansion_

-Ichigo's house, present time-

It was late in the afternoon when Ichigo woke up from his nap. He decided to get a change of clothes and went down. He saw his father and Karin in the living room with Yuzu in the kitchen doing some cooking. "Hey guys. I'm going out."

"At this time? It's nearly night time Ichigo." Yuzu pointed out

"She's right Ichigo. Where are you going anyway?" Karin asked

"I'm just going for a walk. Don't worry. I'll be back before it gets too late." Ichigo responded while heading to the door

"Alright have fun." Yuzu said as Ichigo went out

Later, Ichigo came home about dinner time. The four of them then ate dinner. After a few hours, the sisters decided to go to bed leaving only the two males awake.

"Ichigo." Isshin called out which grabbed his attention. "I'm thinking about telling your sisters about what happened these last few months. What do you think about it?"

"I'm with you on that one. I think they deserve to know the truth now." Ichigo said

"Alright then. Tomorrow during breakfast time." Isshin said while going to his room

Ichigo watched his father enter his room. As he was heading up the stairs, he felt a bunch of people with spirit energy not that far from his house. He then decided to go back to his room. If he was gonna investigate this, he would have to do it once he is sure his father is asleep

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed that one. I decided to make this into a little introduction about Ichigo's powers. **

**Translations. If the translations sucks blame google translate**

Yami no seifuku - subjugation of darkness

**Stay safe from the virus everyone. See ya next chapter**


	19. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen - One's Journey Begins**

When Ichigo was sure that his father was asleep, he prepared to leave his body

"Ichigo, if you are gonna leave your body, leave it in a position where it appears to be sleeping." Zangetsu called out to him

'Huh? Why?' Ichigo asked

"**Because if anyone decides to come into your room while you are away, ugh do I even need to say it?"** White groaned in frustration

'But my door is locked. No one should be able to come into my room unless they bust the door down.' Ichigo protested

"Just don't take any chances Ichigo." Zangetsu said

'Alright. Fine.' Ichigo replied before going into a sleeping position and leaving his body

"**You know, for someone who is supposed to be learning how to think his situation through, I can't believe you overlook something as sloppy as that. Makes me wonder if you really know how to think."** White cheekily commented

'Shut up.' Ichigo complained which caused the hollow to laugh maniacally. 'Wait. I can still use flash steps while I'm invisible right?' he asked when he realized his situation

"Yes. The only restriction is that you cannot make any offensive action." Zangetsu answered him

"Alright then." Ichigo whispered before releasing black flames from his sword and flashed towards the direction of the spirit energy he felt

When Ichigo finally found his targets, they were in a rather simply house. Peeking into a window, he saw three people. One was a blonde kid playing a video game, a magenta haired girl and a dark skinned woman. It was three of the fullbringers

"Are you serious Yukio? Out of all the houses you chose this one? This house is so small." RIruka grumbled

Yukio on the other hand just ignored her and continued to play his video game.

"Hey. Are you even listening to me?" Riruka yelled

"Stop complaining Riruka." Jackie said while lounging on a couch. "This place is just temporary. Our only job is to scout this place for now. Which reminds me, hey Yukio."

"What is it?" Yukio asked

"We still need to decide which ones we should gather information about." Jackie answered

"Don't care. I'll go with whatever you two decide along." Yukio said while going back to his game

"Can you do something other than playing that damn game?" Riruka grumbled which Yukio ignored. "Hey. I'm talking to you." which was ignored again

Unbeknowst to them, someone was spying on them

'Who are these guys? Their spirit energies are completely different from a soul reaper or a hollow.' Ichigo asked

"**I'm curious about that myself. I have never even heard about these types of beings." **White said curiously

"Indeed. These are beings we have never encountered before. It appears their spirit energy signature is different yet similar to a hollow." Zangetsu said

'You think these guys are like us visored?' Ichigo wondered

"I do not think so Ichigo. Visoreds like you would have the spirit energy signatures of both a hollow and soul reaper. These people on the other hand are humans but somehow appear to be similar to a hollow." Zangetsu explained

'So we know next to nothing about them.' Ichigo pondered as he continued observing. 'I'm thinking to just keep an eye on them for now and figuring out who they are and what they're doing here. What do you guys think?'

"I agree with you Ichigo." Zangetsu said

'Although I have to say. We may never have encountered these types of beings but their spirit energy isn't all that strong.' Ichigo commented

"**Don't go underestimating them Ichigo."** White scolded him. "**If they really are here just to scout then there is not telling who they are with."**

**'**I know I know.' Ichigo said. 'I think I've seen enough here.' he said before leaving

"**Ichigo, before you go home, go get some new clothes." **White told him

'Are you for real? Since when do you care about fasion?' Ichigo asked in surprise

"**That is not for fashion you dumbass. Think. What do you think will happen if someone sees an orange haired soul reaper? You are supposed to have lost your powers remember?" **White said in frustration

"He is right Ichigo." Zangetsu joined in. "Just pick something that is not too fancy and make sure it is neither black or white."

'What's with the color picking?'

"If you are wearing either of those colors, one might think you are an arrancar or soul reaper. Also choose one that covers your hair."

'Alright. I guess I understand.' Ichigo said before heading towards the nearest store

When Ichigo arrived, he broke inside the store and headed to the clothes department. 'So how am I supposed to pay for these? The place is now closed.'

"**Don't bother paying them Ichigo. Nobody ever checks if one is missing or not. Just make sure it is still arranged after choosing.**" White answered

'Hell no. I'm not some kind of thief.' Ichigo protested

"You have no choice Ichigo. It would also be to your benefit if you just took some. It is best for you if nobody knows you have new clothes." Zangetsu said

'And why is that exactly?' Ichigo wondered

"**So that if you are forced to do something, no one will recognize it is you."** White answered him

'Fine. But I don't like this one bit.' Ichigo said before looking through the clothes

"Also, get a mask Ichigo." Zangetsu added

After a few minutes, Ichigo finally picked out his outfit for laying low. He wore a camouflage colored track pants and hoodie along with black gloves and black boots. He also found a mask which fit him perfectly. It was a mask that what ninjas or assassins would wear in the movies

'I just realized something.' Ichigo thought as he walked to where he entered. 'How would I use this clothes in my soul reaper form? I mean won't it look weird if I was forced in the open wearing these? Normal humans would think there is a ghost around not to mentioned these aren't spiritual clothes or whatever you wanna call it.'

"**To be fair there really is a ghost lurking around." **White sneered at him

'Hey! I'm serious here.' Ichigo yelled at him

"Do not worry about that Ichigo." Zangetsu said. "Just mix your own spirit energy with it and after some time it will become a 'spiritual clothes' as you called it. Do it in a place filled with reishi Ichigo so the process will go a lot faster."

'Are you saying...' Ichigo was about to ask

"**That's right. It's time to go back to the soul society." **White cut him off

'Wait a minute. If I go there, won't it be suspicious if my body was just lying around?' Ichigo asked

"**You know, I guess you really have a brain after all. Then again, you're probably only using half of it."** White mocked him

"Use your flames on your body Ichigo. Just put it in a place where it is not likely gonna be bumped into then use your flames to hide it in plain sight. Since your soul will be separated from your body, it won't have any trace of spirit energy and since your spiritual pressure is undetectable, it would be extremely unlikely that anyone would even find it." Zangetsu gave him a reasonable answer

'Alright. But I still have no way to go there.' Ichigo said

"**Don't worry about that. Tomorrow I'll teach you how to use the garganta. It's actually pretty simple." **White assured him

'Fine then.' Ichigo said before using his flames to hide his clothes from the sight of normal humans. He then decided to flash back to his house

"**Oh I forgot to mention. You might feel a little discomfort."** White told him when he arrived back at his room

'What?' was all Ichigo said before he entered his body and felt a bit of pain surge through him although it did not last long. 'What the hell was that?' he demanded

"It is your new clothes Ichigo. Since they are still human clothes, it will cause a bit of discomfort until otherwise." Zangetsu answered him

'You could have warned me!' Ichigo yelled at them both to which White just laughed

-Silbern-

Candice was walking down the halls heading towards Bambi's room. When she got close she could hear cursing and some tiny explosions. She knocked on the door and there was no response so she decided to just let herself in. When she did, she was forced to dodge a random explosion that happened near her

"What the hell was that for?" Candice asked in anger before realizing Bambietta was blowing random unnecessary stuff up. "What are you doing?"

"I'm pissed." Bambietta snorted

"About what exactly? I thought having your mission delayed would make you somewhat happy?" Candice asked

"That's exactly why I'm pissed." Bambietta raged. "Tomorrow I leave for the world of the living. Just great. 'Have the one with the power to blow stuff up go on a scouting mission and be as subtle about it.' Damn it all to bloody hell."

"Well on the bright side maybe learning to be more subtle might be for your own good." Candice pondered

"And just what the hell do you mean by that?" Bambietta continued to rage

"Think about it. The both of us have pretty short tempers. Perhaps learning to control them might be good. I'm actually a bit jealous I don't get to go." Candice said

Bambietta was silent for a few moments, pondering what Candice had just said. "You may have a point Candi. I still don't like it." she continued to grumble before heading to her wardrobe and preparing her stuff

"Need some help with that?" Candice offered

"As long as it is not white, I'll bring it." Bambietta replied

-Karakura Town, the next day-

Although Ichigo was a bit late, breakfast proved to be quite the interesting affair for the Kurosaki family. As discussed, Ichigo and Isshin revealed to the sisters that they were soul reapers. Karin was not surprised to hear Ichigo was a soul reaper as she already knew it, but was shocked at how her dumbass of a father was a soul reaper as well. Yuzu on the other hand, was surprised out of her mind and she severly scolded the both of them at what they did. When Ichigo told her about how he is 'losing' his powers, it was finally enough to calm Yuzu down

Ichigo went to his room after everyone finished breakfast. A few moments later, Ichigo came down and headed for the door. "I'm going out." he said to whoever was in the living room

"Where are you going this time Ichigo?" Karin asked curiously with Yuzu popping her head from the kitchen

"Surprise Daddy Kick!" Isshin said coming from nowhere and kicked Ichigo, knocking him to the wall

Ichigo nursed his chest where he was kicked and slowly got up. "What the hell old man? What do you think you're doing?" Ichigo groaned before looking at his father and noticing he had a rather formal attire. "You going somewhere dad?"

"Oh he's going to a medical conference and he won't be back until a couple days later." Yuzu answered while heading to the living room to join the others

"Really? Why you didn't tell us before?" Ichigo asked

Isshin launched another kicked at Ichigo who managed to dodge it. "I did say it earlier. It's not my fault you don't know what time breakfast is." he yelled his answer. "You managed to dodge. I am a good teacher." he said while doing some weird pose. "Ichigo, take care of your little sisters alrighttttt!"

Ichigo was growing irritated with his father's stupid antics and grabbed him while he was talking. "If you're going then just GO!" he said before throwing his father out the door. "Damn old man."

"It hurts me to see you guys fight like that." Yuzu said after Ichigo threw their father out

"Hey don't blame me." Ichigo objected

"I'm with you on that Ichigo. It really makes me doubt if he really is a soul reaper." Karin said

"My dear daughter! How could you say that to your only father?" Isshin yelled while entering the house and running towards his poster of Masaki

"Just go already!" Karin yelled and kicked his father out the door

"Karin!" Yuzu gasped. "That was too much."

"Whatever." Karin just shrugged

After a few moments, Ichigo went to the door again. "Alright. I'm going out now. See you guys later."

"Have fun Ichigo!" Yuzu waved him off

"**This has just been made a whole lot easier."** White said once Ichigo was outside. "**Seems like you no longer have to hide your body anywhere fancy."**

"Indeed. We got lucky this time." Zangetsu agreed. "Just go back to your room when nobody is around Ichigo and don't go through the door."

'That's exactly what I was just thinking.' Ichigo said to them. He walked around the block to make sure no one was watching. When he was absolutely sure nobody was there, he climbed all the way up to his room and entered through the unlocked window. 'I really should have a habit of locking this thing.' he thought

"**Yeah. You should."** White agreed with him

Using his pesquisa once more, Ichigo checked if no spiritually aware being was around and found out he was safe. Separating from his body, he then hid both himself and his body from sight. 'Alright, so how do I open a garganta?' he asked his inner spirits

"Find some abandoned place first Ichigo. Do not open a garganta in the middle of a populated area." Zangetsu told him

'Alright.' he said before flashing away. Ichigo flashed to the top of a building to search for an ideal place. He then remembered the warehouse he was in when he first put Kon in his body and headed towards it. As expected, the place was still abandoned when he arrived

'Should this work?' Ichigo asked

"**It will.**" White answered. "**Now Ichigo, concentrate on reishi as well as the act of literally tearing the space apart."** he instructed him

'Are you sure no one will notice?' Ichigo asked with uncertainty

"Nobody is going to notice Ichigo. A garganta being opened cannot be sensed by anyone, not even by other hollows. The ones you felt before were the arrancar's spiritual pressure being exerted. Since your spiritual pressure is undetectable, no one will notice it. It is also the reason we told you to go to a secluded place. While a garganta cannot be felt, it can still be seen." Zangetsu explained

'Alright I get it.' Ichigo told them before doing what he was instructed. His first try failed. Creating a crack in space itself was not so easy. His next attempts also failed. 'Damn it. This isn't working.'

"**Yeah. You suck at it."** White told him. "**Ichigo, instead of doing what I told you, do this instead. Do you remember when that Ganju guy or whatever his name was taught you how to concentrate your spirit energy? Do what you did but this time, focus on a tunnel that connects the worlds and concentrating that tunnel to open right in front of you."**

Ichigo did as he was told and surprisingly, it wasn't too hard. 'Now what?'

"Now concentrate that spirit energy tunnel into your hands Ichigo, then hold your hand out and release the energy." Zangetu answered him

Ichigo did what was instructed and a garganta soon opened in front of him. 'Alright. I did it.' he said before moving to enter

"**You already know the drill right Ichigo? Just focus the reishi in the garganta to create your own pathways."** White reminded him

'Yeah but will the garganta stay open for long?' Ichigo asked with slight worry as he made his pathway

"How long the garganta remains open depends on the one who opened it. So just have it close Ichigo." Zangetsu replied

'Alright.' Ichigo said before thinking about the garganta he opened closing. Soon enough, it closed

Unknown to Ichigo, someone entered Karakura town in a mysterious way just moments after he entered the garganta. The newcomer was none other than Bambietta Basterbine who arrived at the place she was staying, which was an ordinary house a good distance away from Ichigo's

"Damn it all. I hate this stupid mission. Why the hell do I have to do this?" Bambi grumbled. "At least I'm finally gonna get some peace and quiet." she said while laying down on the couch. 'So how do I keep an eye on any of Ichigo's spiritual activities?'

* * *

**Since school has been cancelled, I have so much free time now so I will be making these sooner. I hope you enjoy that one. Stay safe everyone**


	20. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen - The Sword and its Master**

'So how do I use this place to enter the soul society?' Ichigo asked as he stopped walking

"Unlike what most people think Ichigo, the garganta is not the pathway to and from hueco mundo. In fact the garganta is the space in which the three worlds are located." Zangetsu answered him. "This garganta you are using is merely manipulating the reishi in it to open a gateway and creating a path to a different world."

'For real? Then why do the soul society use the senkaimon to travel to the world of the living?' Ichigo asked in surprise

"Because nobody knows about the true nature of the garganta. In fact, the only ones who know are the royal family, including Yhwach and probably Aizen." Zangetsu responded

'Really? In that case, what's the point in having the precipice world if the garganta can be used to travel between worlds?' Ichigo curiously asked

"**Only spirits with spirit energy have the ability to manipulate reishi."** White joined in. "**Since regular souls have no spirit energy, if they enter this place, they would just fall in this never ending abyss."**

"So in order for regular spirits to traverse between the soul society and the world of the living, the soul king used his power to create the precipice world, a world that connects two different worlds like a tunnel to allow regular souls to move between worlds. Of course, this does not apply to hueco mundo as no regular soul would want to become a hollow." Zangetsu finished the explanation

'Now that is interesting.' Ichigo said. 'So how do I use the garganta to go to the soul society? And are you sure they won't notice?'

"**I already told you, nobody can sense a garganta opening, only the spiritual pressures of the one inside. The only problem would be where to enter the soul society so that no one can see someone entering the place.**" White answered him

"Now Ichigo, concentrate on the place you want the garganta to open and keep moving forward. Once you are nearing the exit, you will feel the reishi pressure increasing and soon an exit will appear in front of you." Zangetsu instructed

'Okay then.' Ichigo said before thinking about the soul society and began walking

"**Don't think about that place Ichigo."** White suddenly said

'What? Why?' Ichigo asked

"**Because if you keep thinking about the seireitei then the exit will open there and announce your arrival to everyone."** White answered

'Oh. So where do I go then?'

"Think about a place where it is unlikely to have anyone around Ichigo." Zangetsu said. "The crater made among the mountains during your battle with Aizen would be a good choice."

"**Just to be safe, open the exit on the side of the giant hole after Aizen blasted your left arm. That would be the safest place to open the exit." ** White said

'Alright then.' Ichigo said before concentrating real hard. That specific area wasn't exactly the easiest to picture

Soon enough, Ichigo made it to the soul society with the exit opening up exactly where he wanted. 'Man. Feels like a lifetime ago since I was last here. Especially knowing what is to come, it feels really weird to just lay low.'

"**Well, a new experience is always helpful Ichigo. You need to be flexible otherwise you will become dead meat in a situation you are not familiar with." **White responded

"And since you are here Ichigo, it is time for you to get your real zanpakuto. Head to the bottom of this hole and come inside your inner world." Zangetsu instructed him

Ichigo did as he was told and went to the very bottom of the crater and it was a really long drop. Getting into a sitting position, he once again entered his inner world and came face to face with his inner spirits

"So, how am I supposed to get my zanpakuto?" Ichigo asked

"Ichigo, have you noticed, that despite being able to use your real powers, most of it is still suppressed?" Zangetsu asked

"Uh no. I thought you said once I use the final getsuga tensho, the seal suppressing my powers would be broken?" Ichigo once again asked in surprised

"**It did Ichigo, however the seal is more complicated than that. It is true that using it has broken the seal, it only broke its hold on your spiritual pressure. I'm sure you have realized by now, that the zanpakuto you're holding is not you're real zanpakuto but one created from the powers that never belonged to you**." White explained

"Yes. So in order for the seal to be completely broken, you need to turn your current zanpakuto into your real one, the one that has been hidden inside you since the day you were born." Zangetsu said before looking at White with the two of them nodding to each other

The two of them were then outlined with their respective powers, old man Zangetsu with blue and White with red. They then held up one of their arms and a beam of energy shot forth, creating blue flames with a red sword at the center. "This is your true zanpakuto Ichigo, the real Zangetsu. Take it. It is yours." the old man said before he was slowly fading away

"Wait. What is happening to you?" Ichigo asked as he saw what was happening

"As we said before Ichigo, I am not Zangetsu, he is. Since you are now receiving your true zanpakuto, your inner hollow, the real Zangetsu, will become the core of your powers." the old man replied sadly, shedding a single tear with White looking rather sad as well. "Now Ichigo, receive your true zanpakuto."

Ichigo could do nothing to stop this. With what is to come, all he can do is hope that the old man would still be with him. But when he grabbed hold of the sword, he had other plans. Instead of simply pulling it out, he grabbed the guard and split the sword in two. An act which surprised both of his inner spirits

"**What did you do?**" White asked, surprised

"I never really understood what you meant. About how you are a part of my hollow. All I know is It that the both of you are part of powers and the both of you have helped a lot since I became aware of my powers. I'm sure by splitting my sword in two, neither of you were directly affected by it. So instead of having only one of you, how about the both of you become the center of my spirit energy?" Ichigo explained to them with the flames on his sword finally dying down, revealing one of his sword to be similar to his old one. It was an oversized khyber knife but this time, it had a proper handle and a small guard with a thin hollowed out portion in the middle. His other one was shorter. About the length of the blade on his khyber knife. It was shaped like a trench knife with an enclosed handle. Both swords were pure black

Outside Ichigo's body, trails of spirit energy was released. By the time Ichigo split his sword in his inner world, his zanpakuto was covered in black flames and turned into the khyber knife he was holding with the trench knife neatly placed on its blade

Back with the three, both his inner hollow and quincy powers were shocked at this turn of events. Neither of them even considered this possibility. The old man was still a part of the hollow, but he no longer had to vanish for Ichigo to achieve his full power while his hollow remained as powerful as he was. The only real change was that they no longer have to vie for control over the core of Ichigo's powers.

"Thank you, Ichigo." the old man said and for the first time ever, Ichigo saw his hollow with a smile. A genuine smile and not an evil grin

"**I must say, I am really glad to have you as a partner, Ichigo**." the hollow told him

The three of them were silent for a bit of time, enjoying the happiness and the bond they shared with Ichigo's recent act, until Ichigo broke the silence. "Do you think someone would have noticed us? I mean, I did release quite a bit of spirit energy, right?"

"Remember Ichigo, your spiritual pressure cannot be detected so it is unlikely that anyone noticed. Reishi also remains in the area for quite some time if a battle took place, depending on the amount. With the levels of power you and Aizen released during your fight, it would take a few months for it to completely dissipate."

**"This crater is also quite deep. I don't think anyone would be wiling to come down here just to check a spike in spiritual pressure, well unless you're that crazy scientist."** White added. "**Now Ichigo, since you have your true zanpakuto, you can now use all of your powers but I'll only show you one for now. Go to where the fake Karakura Town was. It should be where the real one was when it was here**."

"Huh? Why?" Ichigo asked

"**Because one of your abilities take advantage of corpses. Go check if Mayuri left you some to play with. Just do it. It doesn't matter if you wanna use it or not as long as you are aware you can do it**." White instructed him and gave him no time to object

"Fine whatever. But I'm telling you, I'm not gonna use whatever it is you are planning to show me."Ichigo grumbled before leaving his inner world. He then immediately headed for the location where Karakura was and as expected, the destroyed fake one was there. Ichigo then immediately scanned the town for any corpses. 'So am I just supposed to roam around until I find one?' he grumbled

"Unfortunately, yes. Just search the rubbles that weren't made when you, Isshin and the others fought Aizen and Gin." Zangetsu told him

'Fine. Damn it this is such a pain.' Ichigo continued to grumble

After nearly an hour of searching, Ichigo came up empty. 'This isn't working. Are you sure I have to go through them one by one?'

"**Ichigo, look at that pillar to your left**."

Ichigo did as he was told and saw it was a destroyed pillar. "**That pillar is destroyed. Check that one out as well as the area around it.**"

When Ichigo did just that, he finally found a corpse. It was that of a rather large arrancar. 'Now what? And shouldn't this have disappeared by now?'

"Not necessarily Ichigo. Just like human bodies, spiritual beings take quite a long time to decompose, or in this case, dissipate. It is quite a bit of surprise though that Mayuri Kurotsuchi did not take all of them." Zangetsu answered him

"**He probably only took one or two and left the rest to rot.**" White commented. "**Ichigo, release your flames into the corpse but do not have it burn anything."**

'Okay.' Ichigo said before doing it. As soon as he did it, the corpse suddenly rose up and just stood still which freaked Ichigo out. 'What the hell! A zombie?!'

**"Calm down. Are you seriously fearless against someone like Yhwach or Aizen but is afraid of a mere zombie?"**

'Shut up! Zombies are not cool. What is this thing anyway?'

"This is what happens when you release your flames without the intent to burn Ichigo. It allows you to take control of a corpse. This ability only works on those who died or on low level beings such as newborn hollows or a soul reaper that has not yet graduated from the soul reaper academy." Zangetsu answered him

'The two of you know this literally degrades the corpse and that I don't like doing things like that so why in the hell are you showing me this one?'

**"**Because it has certain advantages Ichigo. The first is that corpse effectively becomes an extension of your eyes and ears and to a certain extent, your ability to detect spiritual pressure. This allows you to see and hear what is happening in a place even if you are at a different world. However, I do not recommend that you do this just yet. Among all your abilities in your shikai, this requires the most concentration in order for you to manage yourself as well as manipulate the corpse in question."

"**And how exactly does it degrade the person Ichigo? When a spirit dies it simply goes on the cycle of reincarnation, meaning it gets reborn in the soul society or the world of the living unless you are a hollow destroyed by a quincy. And I already told you, I only want you to be aware of this. Whether you use it or not is up to you."**

**'**It's just wrong to take advantage of something like that and knowing you guys, you probably are gonna give me a reason on why I should be using it.'

"**You know us quite too well. I want you to use it because raising an undead army is fun. This one also has a catch Ichigo. You can raise the same corpse over and over again for as long as its reishi is still around. Even if it was destroyed, if a tiny bit of its reishi still remains elsewhere, you can use that as an undead again."**

**"**You really like messing with Ichigo don't you?" Zangetsu commented to which White just laughed. "Ichigo, the truth is you cannot simply hide your body using your flames. If someone was to keep an eye on you, it would be suspicious if you just disappear and something happens. In order to avoid this, you can use this ability so that your body will appear to be as if normal while you are doing something else."

'Won't my body appear weird if I control it using this ability?'

"That would depend on your control over this ability. If a corpse if afflicted by its ability, you are actively controlling it. Just look at the one in front of you now. It isn't doing anything and that is because you only raised it but are not controlling it. This is why I told you not to use this ability just yet. You need to learn how to multitask if you are to use this effectively."

'You're right. It's still just standing there.' Ichigo then had the corpse move around, jump and crouch and it did all that. 'This one really is kind of interesting, but I'm only gonna use it on my body and nothing else, you got that?' he told his inner spirits

Ichigo then checked the fake town and realized nobody had been watching a random corpse just rise up for no apparent reason. He then used his pesquisa to double check before concluding he was in the safe. 'Now what?'

"By now, your clothes should have turned into 'spiritual clothes' since it has been exposed to large amounts of spirit energy so you should feel no discomfort when entering your body."

"**Yeah. I think you should go spy on the soul reapers Ichigo just to check their next move. There should still be at least a couple hours before it gets too late."**

**'**Okay but how do I get in?'

"Just get to the barrier Ichigo and I'll take care of the rest."

"**But first, let go of your control of the corpse first."**

'How do I do that?'

"**Just have one of your swords make contact with the corpse and it will remove your control over it. While you won't be able to control it until you do it again, it will still remain your eyes and ears, just on this area anyway."**

Ichigo then did just that and the corpse dropped to the floor, lifeless. He then made his way towards the seireitei which was not that far from the town. He soon arrived at the rukongai district and immediately headed towards the seireitei which still had the wall down. 'I'm here. What do I do?'

"Climb up the wall and put your palm on the barrier."

Ichigo then did what Zangetsu said and suddenly a hole in the barrier opened. 'How did you do that?' he asked in surprise

"I just manipulated the reishi in the barrier to allow you entry. Now go to the squad one barracks. If there is anything going on, that will be the place to find out." Zangetsu said to which Ichigo wasted no time entering the place and immediately headed to the barracks

* * *

**Here is the next one. I was kinda excited to write it. Hope you enjoy**


	21. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty - Betrayal**

As Ichigo was making his way towards the squad one barracks, he got lost. 'Damn it all. Why doesn't this place have any signs? Where the hell am I anyway?' he grumbled and continued walking. When he turn in a corner, he saw the Jushiro Ukitake, the captain of squad thirteen, leaving his quarters.

"Alright, Sentaro, Kiyone, I'm going to the squad one barracks. You guys take care of things here." Jushiro instructed as he left

"Yes Captain Ukitake. I will take care of things here in your absence." Sentaro saluted

"Dumbass, I will be the one to take care not you!" Kiyone argued

"You wanna bet on that short stuff?" Sentaro countered and they began arguing. Jushiro just sighed before leaving

"**Ichigo, just follow that guy." **White told him

'I know.'

Jushiro walked towards the squad one barracks. It was actually the first captain's meeting ever since Aizen was defeated. He soon reached a crossing and came across his fellow captain, Shunsui

"Hey Jushiro. Nice day isn't it?" Shunsui greeted

"Yes. It's just about three weeks since Aizen was defeated and it's been rather peaceful. I really hope it stays that way." Jushiro replied

"Me too. Well, let's go to the squad one barracks. Old man Yama is gonna be pretty pissed off if we missed the first captain's meeting since Aizen's defeat." Shunsui said

"Agreed." Jushiro replied and they began their way towards squad one. Unbeknownst to the two, someone was actually stalking them

'First captain's meeting? It's been nearly three weeks since my fight with Aizen so why are they only having a meeting now?' Ichigo wondered as he followed them

"**Probably because you and the others were still here. If they went through the trouble of delaying a meeting until after you left, then they must be up to something they want to keep to themselves."** White said

"Agreed. It was fortunate that we chose this time to come here. We will know exactly what they are planning." Zangetsu agreed

It didn't take long for the two captains to make it to the squad one barracks. When they entered their regular meeting room, Ichigo followed them inside and saw that all of the captains were there.

"This meeting of the captains is now called to order." Yamamoto bellowed as soon as the doors closed before noticing something. "Where is Captain Zaraki?"

"I apologize head captain, but some hollows appeared on the outskirts of the rukongai district. Captain Zaraki decided to go and deal with them just a few hours ago." Toshiro answered

"I see. We will begin this meeting without him then. First, we should decide on what we do with the visored." Yamamoto said

"Pardon head captain, but may I ask who these visored are? We only fought with them to accomplish a common goal yet some of us don't even know them." Komamura interjected

"They were once captains and lieutenants of the thirteen courtguard squads." Unohana answered him. "One hundred years ago, the eight of them were sent to investigate an incident however, they were soon found to have become what they are now. The blame was put on Kisuke Urahara and the central forty six ordered them disposed of while Urahara was to be exiled. However, during the passing of judgment by the central forty six, Kisuke Urahara broke free and went missing along with Yoruichi Shihoin so it is safe to assume she rescued both Kisuke and the rest of the now visored."

"And with recent revelations, it is now clear that we have made an error of judgment as the cause of said incident was Sosuke Aizen." Jushiro joined in the explanation

"How can the central forty six just order the executions of their own comrades like that?" Toshiro wondered, feeling somewhat sorry for the visored

"It matters not. What is past is past." Yamamoto said, effectively stopping the discussion. "It is important now that we discuss what we do with them."

"We have made an mistake in judging our own comrades." Byakuya joined in. "At the least, we should acknowledge our mistake and invite them to fill the vacant positions."

"Hold on." Shunsui called out. "Telling them to just rejoin us would be rude given how they were treated. We should give a formal apology to the visored and if they want, they fill in the vacancies that are available. We should not force them back to the thirteen court guard squads."

"I agree with Captain Kyoraku." Toshiro said. "Not forcing them to rejoin would be us acknowledging our mistake and a sign of good will."

"I agree with that as well." Komamura joined in which elicited some nods from the other captains

"Very well then. If it's settled we will give a formal apology to the visored as well allow them to rejoin if they wish it." Yamamoto said. "I want squad eight to handle this matter." he said to Shunsui

"When would I give them the apology?" Shunsui asked

"As soon as you can. However, inform me before you travel to the world of the living." Yamamoto answered

"Alright old man Yama." Shunsui said nonchalantly

SoiFon and Mayuri were silent at this exchange. It wasn't surprising. The two of them were not big fans of the former captains and lieutenants and would rather that they stay out of this place

"Next order of business." Yamamoto declared. "Has there been any sign of the substitute soul reaper?"

This one caught Ichigo, who has been observing since the start of the meeting, off guard. 'Has the soul society known I still had my powers?' he thought worriedly

"They do not Ichigo. It is most likely what we had told you. They want to use you to lure the previous substitute soul reapers out." Zangetsu assured him and Ichigo continued to observe

"It is quite a troublesome situation about that." Mayuri answered him. "Ichigo Kurosaki's combat pass was destroyed some time before Orihime Inoue was kidnapped and since then we have lost the ability to keep track of him, other than reports from lieutenant Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki."

"What is the explanation for this?" Yamamoto asked Toshiro

"Kisuke Urahara has told me that Ichigo lost control of his spirit energy when he was training and that his combat pass was destroyed in the process." Toshiro answered. "I did not push the issue as I did not want to give them the idea that we have been keeping track of Ichigo."

"It probably makes no difference whatsoever. I'm sure that Kisuke Urahara knows what the pass really was." Mayuri grumbled

"So there has been no sign of him?" Yamamoto asked. "In that case, captain Soi Fon, I want you to deploy the stealth force. The possibility of Kugo Ginjo making contact with Ichigo Kurosaki. I want you to spy on Kurosaki and eliminate Ginjo when the time is appropriate."

'Kugo Ginjo?' Ichigo wondered the mentioned name

"**He's probably the other substitutes Ichigo. Based on the current discussion, it seems there has only been one other substitute before you."**

"Yes head captain." Soi Fon said. "May I ask what would I do if Ginjo tells Kurosaki the truth?"

"As much as it pains me to say this, I want you to kill Kurosaki if he joins Ginjo." Yamamoto said

As soon as Ichigo heard that, he immediately grabbed old of his blades and began to slaughter the captains then and there. "**Wait Ichigo. Don't kill them now"** White called out

'Why not? I have to stop them.' Ichigo argued

"Calm yourself Ichigo. Wait until the discussion is over before making your move." Zangetsu said

'Damn it. I can't just let them do this.'

"**You don't have to. Just calm down and think about it. Since they are only gonna spy on you, use this opportunity to kill their spies. Your abilities should allow you to do that undetected**."

Ichigo glared at the captains, who were oblivious to his presence, before finally calming down and letting them continue

"Are you sure head captain? Ichigo Kurosaki has just saved all of our lives." Toshiro objected

"As much as I don't want to say this, if Ichigo Kurosaki finds out the truth, he will inevitably become our enemy anyway." Byakuya said

"How can you say that Byakuya?" Toshiro continued to argue. "After he saved your sister from a false execution."

"I don't want to. However, we have to look at the facts. We used Ichigo as a lure to draw out Ginjo. If Ginjo gets to him first, he will become our enemy either way." Byakuya said

"I have to agree." Unohana said. "Even though Ichigo is our ally, it does not change the facts. It should be noted that our first and foremost priority is to the soul society and not to our allies. If Ichigo Kurosaki does become our enemy, we have no choice but to eliminate him."

"I guess I understand." Toshiro said in defeat

"Hold on, there's an issue with this plan." Shunsui said. "Don't forget that Kisuke Urahara is most likely gonna keep a close eye on Ichigo not to mention that his father was a soul reaper captain."

"Then we do this in secret. Soi Fon, ensure that your spies know how to stay out of sight. In the event Ichigo joins Ginjo, only eliminate him if he is alone and no one is watching. I want you to personally eliminate him." Yamamoto said

"Yes head captain." Soi Fon replied

"Hasn't Ichigo lost his powers by now? Even if he joins with Ginjo, he doesn't have his powers so how can he be a threat to us?" Komamura asked

"We can't entirely be sure if Ichigo will be a threat or not. What we are sure of is that Ginjo has been in hiding for a long time. There is a possibility that he might come up with a way for Ichigo to regain his powers." Jushiro answered

"What about Kisuke Urahara? As well as Ichigo's friends? Surely they will have some idea if someone makes contact with Ichigo." Toshiro wondered

"That is why we would spy on him personally." Soi Fon joined in. "As ordered, I will keep an eye on Ichigo Kurosaki and eliminate him if he is alone and joined up with Kugo Ginjo. I propose we also eliminate his friends should the truth about what we have been up to be exposed or if they grew suspicious."

"And how will we do that with Kisuke around?" Jushiro asked

"Why don't we wait until something happens before eliminating them?" Shunsui suggested

"You don't mean..." Jushiro said

"Yes. I propose we have Captain Kurotsuchi prepare something. Something that would divert Kisuke's attention so we can have the chance to eliminate them. However, we will only use this if the truth is revealed." Shunsui explained

"Hmmmm. Your thoughts, Captain Kurotsuchi?" Yamamoto asked

"It would depend on the available time that we have. If I have enough time, I should be able to find something which would warrant Kisuke's attention. I will first have to check what I resources I can spare to create such a diversion." Mayuri replied while scratching his chin

"Very well then. Remember Captain Soi Fon, only eliminate them when absolutely necessary. However keep an eye on Ichigo Kurosaki, as well as his friends until Kugo Ginjo is dealt with. Above all, make sure that Kisuke Urahara does not get suspicious about our activities." Yamamoto ordered

"Yes head captain." Soi Fon quickly replied. "I will mobilize the stealth force and select the personnel for this mission immediately."

"Ohooohooh." Mayuri suddenly laughed insanely. "Try not to kill Ichigo Kurosaki. I want to have him as my test subject. He would be a perfect study."

The other captains just rolled their eyes at the scientist's madness

"That is all for today. Dismissed." Yamamoto bellowed and soon enough, all the captains left the room

As they were leaving though, they suddenly felt a cold, murderous intent. Since they could not feel any spiritual pressure along with it, they paid no heed to it

This murderous intent of course, came from Ichigo, who had been observing the meeting since it began. 'So, these bastards reveal their true colors.'

"**I told you Ichigo. These guys can't be trusted at all."**

'How good would it be to kill these bastards.'

"The time for that will come soon enough Ichigo. For now, just be patient." Zangetsu said and Ichigo then left the room as well and headed back to the crater during his fight with Aizen

'Tell me again why don't I just kill them first?'

"**Ichigo, have you noticed something during that meeting?"**

'Just that these guys are god damn hypocrites.'

"**They made no mention about the wandenreich, or the quincies for that matter."**

'What does that have to do with anything?'

"It means that the soul society is not aware of the wandenreich. This works well to your advantage Ichigo. Just lay low and only target their spies for now. When the wandenreich inevitably attacks, use that opportunity. Wait until Yhwach is most vulnerable before revealing yourself. Once Yhwach is dealt with, you are then free to deal with either the wandenreich or the court guard squads, depending on which one is still standing."

"**Exactly. Since they have no idea about your situation as well as the wandenreich, this works well in your favor. Hey Ichigo, is your dad gonna be home tomorrow?"**

'I don't think so. Why?'

"**Because of this nonsense by the soul society, it's time for you to learn your powers Ichigo. Since your dad won't be home, it is the perfect opportunity."**

**'**What does my dad being at home have to do with anything? Aren't you gonna teach this stuff in my inner world?'

"Not this time Ichigo. It would be quicker if you learned this outside of your inner world. So tomorrow you can go somewhere secluded and train."

'And where am I supposed to do that? Even if I go invisible, I don't think any of my abilities will.'

"**There is only one place Ichigo."**

**'**You mean...'

"**Yeah. Go to hueco mundo and train there. Since you left on rather peaceful terms with the arrancars, I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you train there. That's not even counting that you are friends with that hot arrancar chick."**

**'**That reminds me. I do have to go and visit her. I did promise her that.'

**"Look at that. Someone's getting frisky. Didn't think you had it in you."** White mocked which caused Ichigo's face to go red

'Shut up! That's not what I mean and you bloody know it.' Ichigo defended himself with a bright red face to which White just laughed

"In any case, this works out well for you Ichigo. Just lay low and eliminate the spies from the shadows and you will be safe."

'I thought I couldn't launch any attacks if I was invisible?'

"You can, just not directly from your own two blades."

'Huh? what do you mean?'

"**Just wait until tomorrow Ichigo. Once you are in hueco mundo, we will teach you your abilities. Depending on how fast you learn them, we might even have enough time for you to learn how your bankai works."**

'Fine. And what about my bankai?'

"**Your bankai is very difficult to control Ichigo, a lot more difficult than controlling any undead minions you create. You will have to learn how to use your shikai first before you have any hope of using your bankai."**

**'**Okay I guess. What does my bankai do anyway?'

"**I'm not gonna tell you now."**

'Come on.' Ichigo whined

"Focus Ichigo. You are near the crater now. Open up a garganta and return back to the human world."

'Okay I'm doing it.' Ichigo then opened a garganta at the side of the crater and left for the world of the living. It was about four thirty in the afternoon when Ichigo finally returned and when he did, he noticed something. There was another spiritual pressure in town. 'Another spiritual pressure? It's similar to Uryu's. Could it be another quincy?'

"Most likely a member from the wandenreich Ichigo. It seems that Yhwach wants to keep an eye on you as well."

'When did this one arrive here?'

"Probably when you left for the soul society Ichigo. Head home, now."

'What? I won't check to see who this quincy is?'

"**It's too suspicious Ichigo. We don't know how long the quincy has been here. It would be bad if that guy immediately went out to find you. You'll have to pretend to be a normal human for now."**

**'**For real? So I'm just gonna let this quincy stay here without knowing who or what he is doing here?'

"Not necessarily Ichigo. For the rest of the day, just pretend to be a normal human. Tomorrow, instead of going to hueco mundo, spy on the quincy instead."

'So no hueco mundo tomorrow?'

"**You really are excited to see that hot green haired arrancar aren't you Ichigo?"** White mocked with a massive grin

'Shut up! I'm serious here.'

"**You have no sense of humor, you know that?"**

**"**Do not worry Ichigo. Tomorrow in the morning, use that time to spy on the quincy. If the quincy is not up to anything, then in the evening you can go to hueco mundo. This would work out better as you will not have to think about worrying your sisters since they will think that you are just in your room."

'Fine then.' Ichigo said before heading back home

"**Just keep your pesquisa active Ichigo and keep track of the quincy as well as those guys you spied on. Worst case scenario, you will have to go to your room and go out to deal with the quincy, which will make your sister worry if you miss dinner and you don't respond if she checks your room. So keep low and pretend everything is fine and be on high alert."**

**'**This whole laying low really sucks. Looks like I'm really gonna have to learn how to do that undead thing.' Ichigo grumbled as he arrived home. He then grabbed his body and went to an empty alley and entered it, dispelling the effects of his flames. 'Hey I just had a thought. Wasn't my body supposed to be invisible? How come I was able to see it?'

"**I already told you Ichigo. You do not get affected by your own powers."**

**"**What he means by that is, since it was your power that was used to make it invisible, only you and you alone can see it. Not even those that you consider as allies can see it."

'Oh I see.' Ichigo said as he reached back home. "I'm home." he yelled out to whoever was in the house

"Hey there Ichigo. Welcome back." Yuzu cheerfully greeted

"Hey Yuzu. How was everything here?" Ichigo asked

"Just the usual. Karin went out to play some soccer again. What about you Ichigo? Did you have fun when you were out?" Yuzu said

"Yeah. Going around town alone really is kind of interesting, especially when I don't have that annoyances to keep irritating me." Ichigo answered

"You shouldn't talk like that about your friends Ichigo. Which reminds me, are you gonna tell them about your powers?" Yuzu curiously asked

"They already know about it although I guess we never really talked about it. I'll just tell them when school resumes." Ichigo said before heading to the stairs. "I'll be in my room if you need anything."

"Alright Ichigo." Yuzu said before going to the kitchen to find something to cook

Ichigo did not like that talk with his sister one bit, especially knowing that he cannot tell anyone, even his father, about recent developments. 'Damn it all.' he cursed before laying down on the bed. 'Looks like things just got a lot more complicated. Damn Yhwach. Damn the soul society.'

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed that one. This is the chapter I've been looking forward to write the most so far. It shouldn't be too out of character on what I did, I mean the soul society were planning on killing Ichigo in the canon. **

**I also have to mentioned that despite my free time because of the virus, the next chapter might be delayed. My laptop suddenly blue screened and there is a possibility I might have to write on my phone and setting up my phone for that might take some time. God I hate windows 10. Anyways hope you enjoyed this chapter**


	22. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty One - Espionage at its Finest**

-Soul Society, Squad One Barracks-

The next day, Byakuya and Mayuri have been summoned by the head captain. "I thank you both for coming here on such short notice." Yamamoto greeted the two as they entered his quarters

"What did you summon us here for, head captain?" Byakuya asked

"As you already know, we have preparing to kill Ichigo Kurosaki should he prove to be a threat to us. However there is one thing that presents a problem and that is Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin." Yamamoto said

"So you want us to kill them too?" Byakuya curiously asked

"Only if necessary. Knowing Kisuke Urahara, he will most likely know what we are up to and he and Yoruichi might get in the way. If things get out of hand, eliminate them as well. I did not mention this at the meeting as it would cause captain Soi Fon to object, that is why I'll leave it in your hands." Yamamoto explained

"Finally, the chance to get rid of that irritating Kisuke Urahara." Mayuri said while sporting a very big evil grin

"Do not forget, only deal with them if absolutely necessary. They are to be left alone if our whole operation goes unnoticed." Yamamoto reminded them both. "Make sure that no one else knows about this assignment. I do not want Soi Fon to get word of this."

"Yes head captain." Byakuya said before he and Mayuri left the head captain's quarters

-Karakura Town-

The next morning, Ichigo got up rather early. The news that there was another quincy in town left him really restless. He looked at the clock and saw that it was still a quarter to six. 'So what am I supposed to do know? It's still so early.'

"Get some rest Ichigo. The quincy still hasn't gone somewhere since you came back. If he really is here to keep an eye on you, then he will not make it obvious."

'I guess you're right. Still, I don't like this one bit.' Ichigo said while going back to sleep, an uneasy one

"**You don't have to Ichigo. If the quincy gets moving we'll wake you up. You will need the rest if you are to go to hueco mundo later."**

**'**Okay then. Don't let me sleep that long.' Ichigo told them while trying and eventually, getting some sleep

One and a half hour later

"Ichigo, wake up, breakfast is ready." Yuzu yelled from the kitchen but got no response. "That's weird. Did Ichigo go out?" she wondered before walking to his door. "Ichigo, you in there?" again she got no response so she decided to let herself in. "Ichigo?" she asked as she entered his room and saw he was still sound asleep. "Oh he's still sleeping." she whispered before going back down

"Hey Yuzu, where's Ichigo." Karin asked as she was eating her food

"He's still sleeping Karin." Yuzu answered

"Really? At this hour? That's weird. He's usually awake by now." Karin wondered

"I know. Let's just leave some food for Ichigo when he wakes up." Yuzu said as she went and looked for something to place some food in

Nearly two hours later, Ichigo finally woke up. He checked his clock and saw it was nearly nine thirty. 'Well that was a long sleep. Yuzu's gonna be worried I didn't join them for breakfast.'

"**Don't worry about that Ichigo. She came here earlier and saw you sleeping and decided to just let you sleep**."

'And you didn't wake me up why?'

"**Stop whining already. Just go get something to eat. Since it's nearly nine thirty, you should be able to gather some stuff about this new quincy."**

**'**Fine.' Ichigo grumbled before changing from his pajamas to some other clothes. He then headed downstairs and saw Yuzu doing some house chores. "Hey Yuzu, good morning."

"Good morning Ichigo. I left your food on the table." Yuzu cheerfully said before going back to what she was doing

As Ichigo prepared to eat, he realized something. "Hey Yuzu, where's Karin?"

"She went out to have another soccer game with her friends." Yuzu answered

"Oh okay." Ichigo muttered before finally eating. He headed to his room after finished eating. "Hey Yuzu, if you need anything, I'll be in my room."

"Alright Ichigo." Yuzu responded

"**Are you sure that was a good idea? What if she needs you for something and you are out there?"**

Ichigo paled for a bit as he realized what he just did.

"**You are hopeless." **White said in frustration

'I'll just have to make this quick then.' Ichigo said before leaving his body. 'Hey I just had a thought. If I use that zombie thing, I can still remain invisible right?'

"Yes Ichigo. The invisibility can only be broken if you dispel it yourself or take any offensive action."

'Alright then. Might as well give it a shot.' Ichigo said before having his flames enter his body. He then had it just read some of his magazines until it was given other instructions. 'Damn it. This is just gonna be even more suspicious if she finds it just reading and not responding to her.'

"You can also have it speak Ichigo. Like we said, you have complete control over anything under the influence of this ability. This includes it being able to speak when you want it to speak. Since it also becomes an extension of your eyes and ears, you will also notice if your sister is near your room."

"**Yeah but just be very careful about it. You still have no practice about it and you're already using it. Don't screw this one up Ichigo or things will get complicated."**

**'**I know.' Ichigo said before leaving his house through the window, headed towards where the new quincy was

When he arrived, he saw it was a rather small house, smaller than the fullbringers. It appeared to be only good for two people. He peeked through one of the windows and saw the new quincy wasn't a guy, but was rather a girl and she headed to the kitchen

"**Look at that. That is one hot girl."** White commented

'She is the quincy I sensed yesterday? Who is she?'

"That is what you are here to find out Ichigo. Go inside the house. Look around and find out whatever she has that might be related to the wandenreich but do not touch anything." Zangetsu instructed him

'Ok I'm doing it.' he said before making his way inside. He looked around the house and saw nothing that was even remotely out of this world, except for the papers on the table in the living room. Just when he was about to look at it

"How in the hell do I cook this thing?" a yell suddenly came from the kitchen which startled Ichigo

He peeked at the kitchen and saw the the girl was having trouble cooking some pork. Ichigo didn't really judge since he himself doesn't even know how to cook that much

"Whatever I give up. Might as well cook something simple." the girl, Bambietta Basterbine said as she looked to her fridge and grabbed some eggs

"**You know, I really didn't think you had it in you to spy on a girl like this, Ichigo."** White said which made Ichigo's face go red

'Shut up you! I'm not here to spy on her like that and you know it.' he grumbled. 'Damn hollow.' he said which caused his hollow to laugh

It didn't take long before Bambi finished cooking and headed to the living room with some food. As she was eating, she decided to have a look at the daten again. She never really memorized any important information and just thought that as long at it wasn't Yamamoto, Unohana, Jushiro or Shunsui she was fighting, she would be ok. Ichigo decided to have a peek as well and saw something very interesting. It was the full details of every power that the squad captains have. With the exception of the bankai's of Jushiro and Shunsui, everything was written in great detail, including how good they are at other things such as kido. Bambietta just flipped through the pages, only scanning the things and soon arrived at a page which greatly caught Ichigo's attention. It was a page that had 'Notable Threats' on top along with the description that says 'these have the power to completely change the outcome of the war. Do not let them fight at the same time.'

What really caught Ichigo's attention was the fact that his name was on top, the most dangerous of the threats. Others included Sosuke Aizen, Kisuke Urahara, Ichibei Hyosube and Kenpachi Zaraki which wasn't surprising.

'Who is this Ichibei Hyosube?'

"He is the leader of the royal guard, squad zero Ichigo. Not many have met or even seen him as the royal guard's jurisdiction is only the royal palace. It does not extend to the soul society."

'The royal palace? That's the place Aizen was after right?'

"**Yeah. The royal palace exists within the seireitei Ichigo but like the wandenreich, it is in another dimension."**

The trio's discussion was interrupted when they heard a voice

"So, I'm supposed to keep an eye on this Ichigo Kurosaki guy." Bambietta said to herself. "I'm never gonna understand why they chose me of all people to do this but whatever. Might as well do this then." she said as she went to the kitchen and just left her plates there before heading to her room

Since she was alone in the house, or so she thought, she just casually stripped out of her clothes as she entered her room. The sight of which made Ichigo catch a nosebleed and faint. 'Wha... What the hell?' was all Ichigo managed to say before fainting. Before he fainted though, he could hear maniacal laughter

Bambietta soon came out of her room wearing clothes that were more appropriate for going out before heading to the door. She locked it and left, not knowing there was still someone at her house. She headed for the river to investigate something. 'So, this was where Ichigo's mom was killed according to the daten. Does Ichigo even know that his mother was a quincy? Or that the hollow wasn't actually the one that killed her? I almost feel sorry for the guy, having the truth hidden from him like that.' she thought as she arrived and walked along the riverbank, thinking her next move. 'His Majesty wants me to keep an eye on him for any suspicious activity, but simply stalking him is suspicious on its own right. I wonder, would that even work?' she thought before heading to a rather familiar destination. 'That soul reaper does this nearly every time she was here. I wonder if I would be able to avoid suspicion. Either way this is probably the best option.'

At Bambi's house, half an hour later

"**Ichigo. Wake up."**

Ichigo groaned as he slowly came to his senses.

"**Get up already! Something interesting is happening."** White yelled at him which made Ichigo get up

'How long was I out? And what was I just doing here unconscious here anyway?' he wondered before remembered the girl, who was unknown to him, just strip in front of him and his face immediately went red. 'Damn it.' he grumbled as he tried to clear his head

"Focus Ichigo. Concentrate on where the quincy is now."

'Huh? What? Why?' Ichigo asked as he still have not fully regained logical thinking

"**The quincy Ichigo. She left here right after she stripped. You need to know where she is."**

'What?' Ichigo asked. This made him regain all his senses and focused on where she was. 'My school? Why would she be there?'

"Most likely to pretend to be a student Ichigo. It seems she wants to imitate what Rukia and the others do when they are here."

'This complicates things. How am I supposed to keep an eye on her and lay low with everyone in school?' he grumbled before leaving the house and flashed straight towards his school

"**I don't think it's all bad Ichigo. There is still a strong chance this could work in your favor."**

'What do you mean?' he asked as he arrived at the gates of his school

"**Think about it. If she is in your school, and most likely in your class, you will be able to keep an eye on both her and your friends. The only problem is if those weirdos from the other day go near your house. Honestly, this might be for the best, depending on what those guys do."**

"He is right Ichigo. Having both her and your friends in one place is for the best. While she keeps an eye on you, you keep an eye on her. However, you will have to learn how to control your body if you are forced to be away from it to avoid suspicion."

'This are never simple are they?' he thought while walking down the halls and looking for the quincy girl

He saw the girl who just arrive at the office of the principal. After asking a few questions, she was directed to one of the teachers in the room

"Excuse me, maam. I'd like to enroll for high school." Bambietta said respectfully

"Of course young lady. Do you have any of the requirements such as report cards or school records?" the teacher asked

"I'm sorry but I didn't bring it." Bambietta said sadly, which she faked obviously

"In that case fill out this form. You can bring the requirements when school starts." the teacher told her

"Thank you. May I ask when school will start?" Bambi asked

"In about three days young lady."

"Here it is maam." Bambi said as she finished filling out the form

"Great. Just come here first with your requirements. Classes start at around nine so come here a bit early. I'll direct you to your class assignment when I evalute your requirements. Here is a list of them." the teacher said while giving her a paper and looking at the form. "See you during the first day Bambietta Basterbine."

"Thank you very much maam." Bambi said before leaving and heading home

Like before, she oblivious to the fact that someone had been stalking her just recently

"**Ichigo, follow her home."**

'So now who wants to spy on a girl?' Ichigo mocked White

"**I do want to spy on her. There is something else."**

'What is it?' Ichigo asked while following Bambi to her house.

"**She appears rather hesitant upon enrolling. There may be a chance she is not here to spy on you alone."**

'So she is here for something else?'

"**I can't be sure about it. Just follow her home. She might reveal something that could answer this question."**

'Alright then.'

Soon enough, Bambi arrived at her house with Ichigo following her

"This is so irritating. I have to bring these to school? As if this wasn't annoying enough." Bambietta said before making some fake documents. Since quincies manipulate reishi, she just manipulated some to make it appear real despite the fact that they were completely fake. Making fake documents took her nearly an hour which annoyed her even further. 'Almost done. I just need to get the name of another school and this should be good to go.' she thought before heading to her room

'She's just settling with that? If the school checks out whatever school she puts in those, she's gonna get in trouble.'

"**So go inside the room and tell her, then have your way with her."** White mocked him which made Ichigo's face go red as he remembered what had happened earlier

'Shut up! I'm not a pervert like you.'

"Do schools even check with other schools if a student brings all of the requirements Ichigo?"

'Uh. To be honest, I'm not sure.'

Bambi soon came out of her room, grumbling. "Where did I put it?" before searching the living room. Nearly half an hour later, "Here it is." she said as she held up what looked like a candy dispenser

'Is that a?' Ichigo wondered

"Yes. It appears to be a memory alteration device like the one Rukia used."

'I thought only soul reapers had those.'

"Not necessarily Ichigo. Those things are relatively easy to make if you know what you are doing. It makes sense now. It appears she plans to completely bypass the part of the requirements to get into the school."

'Won't she make it suspicious if she altered someone's memories in broad daylight?'

"She would but remember Ichigo, she is a quincy. Unlike a soul reaper who has to be in a gigai to be visible to non spiritual beings, quincies can manipulate their own reishi to achieve it. In other words, she can be invisible to regular humans at will."

'How come Uryu hasn't done anything like that?'

"This level of reishi manipulation is not easy to pull of Ichigo. Even at Uryu's level, he cannot use this yet. He will need to train even more before he can use this type of manipulation."

'Interesting.' Ichigo said as Bambi put away the memory alteration device

Ichigo continued to observe as Bambi got back to the daten. She got a blank piece of paper and decided to write something. She wrote basically what appears to be an organizational tree. With the lieutenants and other notable soul reapers at the very bottom, the captains above them, the head captain and including the royal guard

'Five members? Wouldn't squad zero be made up of more than just five members?' Ichigo wondered

"They have no need for members Ichigo. Those five are captain level fighters and aside from the head captain and Kenpachi Zaraki, each is stronger than a court guard captain. Their spiritual pressure would probably be equivalent to two or three court guard captains, depending on who you compare it to."

'Really? They're that strong?'

**"Of course they are. They don't have that position for nothing Ichigo. But don't worry. They are nothing you can't handle. You just need to learn your powers first."**

As Ichigo was conversing with his inner spirits, Bambi was comparing her organizational tree with the one from the daten, trying to see if she missed anything. 'So, these royal guard members are stronger than the captains. It would be a bad idea to fight these guys on my own. Is that why Yhwach selected some of the sternritter for his schutzstaffel? So they can fight the royal guard?' she wondered. "Still though, if His Majesty's goal is to kill the soul king, what is his endgame? This daten doesn't even have the answer to that." she said to herself, not knowing someone was listening

"**It's just as I had thought. You can go home now Ichigo."**

'What did you even have me come here in the first place?'

"**I wanted to see if she is completely loyal to the wandenreich. As I thought, she isn't."**

'What makes you say that?'

"**Quincies who are loyal to Yhwach would obey without hesitation. The fact that she is questioning Yhwach's motives is a clear indication that she isn't downright loyal. At this point, I am not a hundred percent sure about that, but that was a helpful information."**

**'**Oh I see. So what now?'

"**Go home for now. When your sisters go to bed, you go to hueco mundo. We are now pressed for time."**

Later in the evening, Ichigo finally left for hueco mundo. After a while, he finally arrived and it was the desert inside las noches. As Ichigo prepared to make his way outside

"ICHIGOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

**Here is the next one. Hope you enjoy it**


	23. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Two - An Old Friend, New Allies**

"ICHIGOOOOOOOO!"

Ichigo paled slightly when he heard that voice. Since he did not bother to put on his mask and hood, it became perfectly obvious who the orange haired guy with large swords was. He turned around and saw Nelliel rushing at him and immediately bear hugged him. Even at his level of power, Nel's bear hug was still squeezing the life out of him

"N... Nel... It's... good to see... you too." Ichigo managed to say. Nel finally realized what she was doing and let go of him which caused Ichigo to gasp for fair

"Sorry Ichigo. So what brings you here?" Nel asked

Ichigo was still recovering his breath as Nel asked him. "I actually came here to visit you Nel. I did tell you that after all." he managed to say after a few moments

"That's so sweet Ichigo. Still, I didn't wanna believe it. I really can't feel your spiritual pressure at all yet I know you still have your powers." Nel told him

"Yeah my spiritual pressure can't be... Wait, how did you know my spiritual pressure can't be sensed?" Ichigo asked as he realized what Nel said

"Ulquiorra was there at the soul society when you fought Aizen. He said he managed to arrive right before you used a technique which unleashed a huge amount of power. He said that after using it, your power was rising until it can no longer be sensed." Nel explained to him

"Ulquiorra was there? I didn't even notice him." Ichigo muttered

"He kept his presence hidden Ichigo. He was just there to see if he needed to interfere and try to make something happen. It turned out he didn't have to." Nel said

Their little discussion was ended when someone flashed near them. It was a dark skinned woman which Nel knew but Ichigo had no clue who it was

"I was wondering what was going on out here. A garganta was opened yet somehow I could feel no spiritual pressure coming from it. So it is you Ichigo Kurosaki." Harribel said as she walked towards them

"Yeah it's me. Uh who are you?" Ichigo asked rather frankly

"I guess we have never been properly introduced. I am espada number three, Tier Harribel. I was the one who succeeded Nel as the third espada after she was incapacitated by Nnoitra." Harribel introduced herself. "So what brings you here Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"Just call me Ichigo. I actually came here to visit Nel and how she was doing. It's been a while since I've been here." Ichigo answered her

Harribel had an amused expression at this which confused both Nel and Ichigo. "You really are strange Ichigo Kurosaki. You are a soul reaper yet you are friends with a hollow. I always thought soul reapers hated hollows." she said in slight amusement

"Not me I don't. Besides I can't hate hollows. After all I have one living inside me." Ichigo told her

This shocked both Nel and Harribel. They knew Ichigo had the powers of a hollow but they had no idea there was one inside him

"Ichigo, did you just say you have a hollow inside?" Nel asked in disbelief

Ichigo just smiled at their shocked expression before giving his answer. "Yeah you heard right. In fact, the hollow inside me isn't just an ordinary hollow, he is actually my zanpakuto." he said as he gestured to his back and right hip, which held his two swords

Nel and Harribel were even more shocked at this revelation. They have heard about a soul reaper's zanpakuto before, but a soul reaper's zapakuto was a hollow as well came at a complete shock. They didn't even think it was possible

The three were silent for a while as Nel and Harribel tried to process what they just heard. The silence was broken when the three of them heard someone heading their way and making a lot of noise. It was none other than Pesche and Dondochakka, both of which were heading straight for Ichigo. "Welcome back Ichigo!" the both of them yelled as they jumped straight at Ichigo

Ichigo on the other hand, was annoyed at the two and just sidestepped, causing both of them to crash into each other

"What are you two doing?" Harribel asked the two while Nel just giggled at her fraccion

"That was cold don't ya know? How could you just avoid your friends like that when they are trying to give a hug? Dondochakka childishly asked while crying like a baby

"Yeah what's the big idea? You're as cold as a women who has no interest in the man she left." Pesche grumbled as he and Dondochakka got up

"I see you two have changed your looks." Ichigo said as he got a look at the two of them

"Not really Ichigo. After your friend Orihime fixed Master Nel's mask she offered to do the same to us." Pesche explained

"Yeah we look awesome don't we." Dondochakka said as he and Pesche began to do stupid poses, showing Ichigo their forms before they were incapacitated

Ichigo just facepalmed at the two clowns before him. "I just realized, who was that other arrancar that was with Ulquiorra before I left for the world of the living?"

"He is the first espada, Coyote Starrk." Harribel replied simply

"So that guy's the strongest?" Ichigo curiously asked

"Yes he is the strongest. Although at this point we are not sure if he still is." Harribel answered him. This did not surprise Ichigo as it seemed that Starrk was the second one to see Ulquiorra's segunda etapa

"Oh I see." Ichigo said as he began to look at the distance

"What's wrong Ichigo?" Nel asked him as he appeared to be acting strange

Ichigo sighed before adopting a serious look. "I did come here to see you Nel. However, there is something else. I came here to warn you about something."

When Ichigo said that, everyone grew serious. Nel and Harribel shared a knowing look at each other. "Pesche, Dondochakka, please have Ulquiorra, Starrk and Lilynette go to the conference room. This appears to be really serious."

"Yes Master Nel." the duo said simultaneously before heading in different directions

"I'll go get my fraccions and meet you there." Harribel said before she too left the area

"Alright. Ichigo, follow me." Nel told him before walking towards one of the buildings with Ichigo following him

At Starrk's room

Dondochakka knocked on the door. Soon enough, Lilynette opened the door. "Hey Dondochakka. What brings you here?" Lilynette greeted

"Ichigo is here and he said it is for something serious. Master Nel and Master Harribel has requested that you and Starrk be in the conference room." Dondochakka said in a rather serious tone

Lilynette noticed the seriousness from both Dondochakka's tone and expression. "Alright. I'll wake that lazy guy up and meet you there." she said before yelling at Starrk with Dondochakka leaving

Ulquiorra was in a different part of the fortress, specifically the place where Aizen keeps his data. At the moment, the data he was looking at belonged to Uryu Ishida, the quincy that thought he stood a chance at even delaying him. He felt that Pesche was heading his way and switched data. Instead of looking at Ichigo's friends, he pretended to be reading the data of the captains who came to hueco mundo

"Master Ulquiorra." Pesche called out

"Yes what is it?" Ulquiorra asked while still reading the data

"Ichigo Kurosaki is here. He said he had something urgent to warn us about. Master Nel and Master Harribel has told me to have you meet us in the conference room." Pesche told him

"Very well then. Let's go." Ulquiorra said while shutting off the data and heading out, Peshe following suit

A few minutes later, everyone arrived at the conference room where Aizen would hold meetings with the espada and noticed that Ichigo and Nel were already there waiting for them.

"Everyone's here." Nel noted as she observed everyone coming inside. First was Harribel and her fraccion, followed by Ulquiorra and Pesche, Dondochakka and finally, Lilynette and Starrk.

Everyone took a seat with the exception of the fracciones, who just stood behind their masters

"This had better be important. Can't believe a once enemy has the nerve to call us all to a meeting." Apacci grumbled

"You idiot. He didn't call for a meeting, Lady Harribel and Lady Nelliel did." Mila Rose insulted her

"Don't call me an idiot you whackjob!" Apacci retorted and began arguing with her

"Will you both calm down? You act so immature when you fight like that." Sung Sun commented

"Shut up Sung Sun!" both Mila Rose and Apacci yelled in unison

"That's enough you three." Harribel said which made the three shut up. "I think you three should introduce yourself to our guest first."

"Franceska Mila Rose."

"Emilou Apacci."

"Cyan Sung Sun."

"Hi Ichigo. I'm Lilynette Gingerbuck." Lilynette greeted him to which Ichigo waved at her

"Keep it down will you." Starrk said uninterestedly before Lilynette suddenly kicked him. "What was that for Lilynette?"

"Can you just not sleep for once?" Lilynette yelled at him

Ichigo observed with slight amusement at the bickering

"Alright enough." Ulquiorra said which got everyone's attention. "Before anything else, there is something I want to ask you Ichigo Kurosaki."

"What is it?" Ichigo asked

"Why would you bother to come here to warn us about something? Or about anything for that matter?" Ulquiorra asked

"Why wouldn't I? We're no longer enemies after all." Ichigo retorted

Ulquiorra just stared at Ichigo for a moment before clarifying his question. "Ichigo Kurosaki, I am sure that you know that Aizen was interested in you. He has a databank that contains information about the soul society and anyone affiliated with them. When I checked the data concerning you, I found something very interesting. It seems that your mother was killed by a hollow. By Grandfisher to be exact. So I will ask you again. Why do you not hate us? Why would you go out of your way to warn us about something?"

This bit of information made everyone go on alert, even the usually uninterested Starrk. They knew that if someone took away something you care about, you would hate that person. They were all aware that at this point, none of them could stand up to Ichigo. Even Nel was now worried that Ichigo was furious with all of them

Ichigo on the other hand, remained calm despite the extreme uneasiness of everyone around him. Instead of lashing out like everyone expected him to, he instead just gave them a genuine smile before giving his answer. "I will be honest here. At one point, I did hate hollows. When I first became a soul reaper, I thought hollows wanted nothing more than to devour souls for the fun of it, especially when I learned from Grandfisher himself that he was the one that killed my mother. It also didn't help that for most of my life, I blamed myself for her death. However, about a month before you kidnapped Orihime, I was forced to learn something very important. I had to learn how to let it go and to move forward and to keep an open mind. It was around that time when I finally understood what I was told and that was to accept the reality that at the time, I knew next to nothing, about hollows, soul reapers, or myself. When I met Nel outside las noches, I learned that not all hollows were all bad. After my battle with Aizen, I was unconcious because I finally got my own power. I won't go into detail but in the time that I was unconcious, my inner hollow as well as the one who I thought to be my zanpakuto told me the truth about my mother. The real reason why she died and that is what I have come here to warn you about. Besides, I have a hollow that lives inside me and even though he annoys me, he is probably my greatest mentor."

This seemed to calmed down everyone a bit. The others were still on alert but Nel was now confident Ichigo did not come here to harm them. She never really doubted him but she understood that being around the very creatures that killed your mother would put you on edge

"You have a hollow inside you Ichigo?" Lilynette asked with uncertainty

"Yeah I do. In fact he is also my zanpakuto." Ichigo asked which further surprised everyone. Nel and Harribel already knew about it, but it still puzzled them how that was even possible

'So that was what happened. According to Aizen's data, if a soul reaper uses hollow powers, that means that the hollow has been suppressed. It makes sense now how he became a hollow. You cannot suppress something whose powers you use nearly every single day.' Ulquiorra thought to himself as he recalled what happened in their fight

"How is that even possible for a hollow to be a zanpakuto at the same time?" Apacci wondered

"Shut up Apacci, know your place here." Mila Rose berated her

"You shut up. I'm just voicing what everyone is thinking here." Apacci defended herself

"Ironically, it was because of Aizen. In fact, I don't think I would even be born if it wasn't for him. Suppose you could say I am a result from an experiment that went wrong." Ichigo told everyone

Sung Sun could not contain her curiosity any longer. She had been silent as an act of respect for her mistress but now, she herself wanted answers. "Ichigo, forgive my impudence, but how can you just say that you are an experiment gone wrong? Aren't you bothered by that?"

Nobody really reprimanded Sung Sun for voicing her thoughts as right now, everyone wanted to know the same thing

Ichigo just sighed before giving his answer. "Because I had to learn how to move forward. I will share with you all what I was forced to learn. The truth of the matter is, it is all in the past. Even if I kill every single hollow in existence, it won't bring my mother back. That also goes to the part Aizen had when I was conceived. Killing him won't change the past. Nothing can change it. The only thing you can really do is accept it and move forward. Clinging on to the past will only close your mind to the reality around you, and depending on the circumstance, push away those who could have been your allies. It is best to make peace with the past, learn from it and move forward."

His answer appeared to have an impact on the arrancars. Most of them were used to basing their opinions based on past experience. They have never even heard about the concept of moving forward. All of them just looked around at each other with every single one having an uncertain expression on their face, with the exception of the emotionless Ulquiorra

"You really are full of surprises, aren't you kid?" Starrk commented with a smile of approval

"What did you mean by the real reason your mother died?" Ulquiorra asked

"Yeah I almost forgot. The real reason my mother died is also what I came here to warn you about. My mother wasn't actually an ordinary human, she was a quincy." Ichigo said

"A quincy? You mean like that Uryu guy?" Pesche asked

"Yes. In fact, I was told that she was not supposed to die that day and that she should have been able to kill Grandfisher without batting an eyelash. However, that did not happen. The real reason she died was because of a man named Yhwach." Ichigo answered him

"Who is this Yhwach?" Harribel asked

"He is the king as well as the progenitor of the quincies. Yhwach conducted a ritual which stole the powers of every quincy he deemed unnecessary and taking those powers as his own. As I'm sure you figured out what I'm about to say, that ritual was conducted during me and my mother's encounter with Grandfisher. With her powers stolen, there was nothing she could do." Ichigo said in a rather sad tone

"I'm sorry Ichigo." Nel said as she noticed Ichigo's expression

"Ichigo, can we back up a bit? You said your mother was a quincy, does that mean you are a quincy too?" Starrk curiously asked, no longer uninterested like he usually was

"Yes. I am actually a hybrid of a human, soul reaper, hollow and a quincy." Ichigo answered him

"I guess that would explain why you have so much power." Harribel commented

"What is it about Yhwach that made you come here to warn us?" Ulquiorra asked

"I came here to warn you about the possibility that Yhwach might attack hueco mundo. I'm not sure if he will even attack hueco mundo as his quarrel is only with the soul society, but I do know that Yhwach's goal is to kill the soul king. If the soul king dies, the soul society, the world of the living as well as hueco mundo, will all be destroyed. Even if you don't want to get involved with the coming war between soul reapers and the quincies, Yhwach's coming will affect every one of us." Ichigo told them

"So you want us to prepare for something that isn't even certain? What makes you so sure that the quincies will even beat the soul society?" Apacci asked

"Because the soul society doesn't know about the wandenreich, the empire of the quincies." Ichigo said

"You haven't told them about this Ichigo?" Nel asked as she realized what Ichigo was implying

"They don't and I have no intention of telling them. In fact, they actually think I'm powerless and I am just a regular human at this point." Ichigo muttered

"Weren't you allies with the soul society?" Ulquiorra asked

"We were, or at least I thought we were. After my battle with Aizen, my inner hollow told me it would be best of I lay low for a while and I did just that. A few days ago, I went to the soul society to take care of something. Since I was there, I decided to spy on them and I was lucky as they had a captain's meeting at the time. What they were planning really pissed me off. You see, I'm not the first substitute soul reaper and there was one before me. From the very beginning, the soul society never saw me as an ally and instead were using me as a lure. During the meeting, they were planning to spy on me, use me as a lure to draw out the other substitute and eliminate us both as some sort of tying up loose ends. I wouldn't even be surprised if they are willing to kill my friends as well. I honestly wanted to destroy the soul society then and there." Ichigo explained

Everyone was surprised at this revelation. It wasn't surprising given that Ichigo was affiliated with them. No one can relate to Ichigo more than Harribel. She too trusted in someone and got betrayed. Ichigo was going through the same thing as she was only that when she was betrayed, it was done rather frankly

"So why did you not kill them Ichigo? You're not seriously planning on letting them get away with this are you?" Starrk asked

"I don't. I'll deal with the soul society when the time comes but taking down Yhwach is my top priority right now. I didn't kill them because I have to lay low." Ichigo answered

"Why is that Ichigo?" Nel asked

"Because of Yhwach's ability. It's called 'The Almighty'. This power allows Yhwach to see every single possibility in the future and it has no blindspots. This makes it next to impossible to kill Yhwach as he can always create a failsafe to ensure his survival. While the power itself has no blindspots, its owner does. So as long as Yhwach doesn't consider me a threat, he won't bother to look at the possibilites that concern me. This is why I have to lay low, until Yhwach leaves himself open and I get the chance to kill him, for good. So please, don't tell anyone that I still have my powers." Ichigo explained

"Of course Ichigo." Nel told him

"I see. Very well then Ichigo." Ulquiorra said

"There is something else. I'm still not sure about this but I might need Aizen's help against Yhwach. Because Yhwach's power allow him to see the future, Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu would help a lot in messing up his power." Ichigo said with uncertainty

"WHAT! HOW DARE YOU COME HERE AND..." Apacci yelled before Harribel raised a hand which made her shut up

"I understand the necessity Ichigo. I won't blame you for needing Aizen's help given what Yhwach's power is. There is one thing I ask of you though." Harribel said

"What is it?" Ichigo asked

"That if Aizen was to come here in hueco mundo, you be here as well. I am sure this isn't an unreasonable request as you know what he did to me." Harribel answered. Her fracciones, despite wanting to object, decided to trust their mistress' judgment

"Of course. Thank you." Ichigo told her

"Ichigo Kurosaki, don't break the trust that all of us are giving you." Ulquiorra said

"I won't." Ichigo declared. "Although, I have to ask, why would you all just trust me immediately?"

Everyone in the room looked at each other before Ulquiorra looked at Harribel

"Because of the kind of person you are Ichigo Kurosaki." Harribel spoke. "From our observations and the data Aizen had, you are the kind of person who would want to protect those you consider as friends. While it will never cease to amaze me that you would even make friends with the ones that killed your mother, the fact that you chose not to hate us gives us a good reason to trust you. That's not even factoring in that you could have simply left us in the dark about a possible invasion. Those kind of people are very difficult to find. As Ulquiorra said, do not break the trust the we are giving you." she explained with the rest of the arrancars nodding in agreement

"Thank you. Seriously." Ichigo said gratefully. "One more thing, can I use this place to train?"

"No." Ulquiorra said. "Your power is too great Ichigo. None of us would even use our sword release unless we have no choice. Do it outside the fortress. You shouldn't have to worry about collateral damage if you train there."

"Alright guys. I'll be back when I'm done training." Ichigo said as he left the room

* * *

**Here is the next one. The next chapters might take longer because of this quarantine. I can't go out and get more data because the stores are closed and mine will expire this week. However, depending on how long it would take before I get more data, I might upload two or more chapters by the time I get it. Anyway I hope you enjoy this one and stay safe from the virus**


	24. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Three - First Impression**

All of the arrancars observed as Ichigo left the room. Some of them, specifically Harribel's fracciones, were still afraid of him after learning that a hollow killed his mother while the others were confident that Ichigo truly forgave the hollows

"What's wrong Nelliel?" Ulquiorra asked as she noticed Nel's rather odd expression

"It's just Ichigo. He seems different from how he was before. It kinda makes me worry." Nel answered

"Do not blame him Nelliel." Harribel said. "When you are betrayed by the people you trusted, things will never be the same. I should know this better than anyone else. Given that he is young, much younger than us, I am not surprised in the drastic change from what we knew about him before."

"I hope you're right." Nel said

Outside Las Noches

Ichigo flashed a good distance away from las noches. As he finally settled on a certain spot, he decided to sit on the sand. 'So, you two gonna teach me now or what?'

"**Yeah yeah. I will say this Ichigo. I am surprised at how you handled yourself. I would have thought after being hugged like that you would go nuts." **

**'**Hey! I'm not a perv like you ok.'

"Enough both of you. We don't have much time before dawn." Zangetsu interrupted their bickering. "Ichigo, are you ready now?"

'Yeah. Let's get this over with.'

"**Alright then. Before we begin, keep this in mind Ichigo. Your powers work differently from other zanpakutos."**

'What kind of a difference are we talking about?'

"**Unlike other zanpakutos where a certain technique only has one effect, your techniques have multiple effects. Some of which have multiple, different effects in one technique."**

'Really? That's awesome.'

"**Yeah. Take your black flames for example. On first glance, it is just a fancy color flames, but if you want to, you can anything it touches to stone."**

**'**Cool. So how do I do that?'

"It depends on you Ichigo. The effects of your technique would depend on what you want to do with your target. So if you want to burn it, the flames will burn it. If you want to immobilize your target, your flames will instead turn it to stone."

'So it's that simple.'

"Yes but it still requires you to focus otherwise you will not achieve your intended results and should you lose focus on what you intend to do to your target, it will instead burn them."

"**Remember this well Ichigo. The name of this technique is Owari no nai teiden inferuno." **

"Also Ichigo, your technique to control corpses is a sub technique of the flames and it does not necessarily require a corpse to use."

'What do you mean by that?'

"**That technique is called Fujōna ningyō shōkan****. It fuses your flames with the reishi in the air to create soldiers. This means that at any given moment, you can just create an army out of nowhere. Alternatively, you can use those flames on a coprse which you know about already." **

**"**Remember Ichigo, you must have the flames not burn anything otherwise this technique will fail and will instead become the usual flames. Also, the army you summon can take on any form you desire and are controlled the same way as when you use it on a corpse."

'That is one messed up technique. So you're saying I can make a dragon just from using this technique?'

"**You can even create a terrifying monster that has its stomach ripped open."**

**'**Ok that is going too far.'

"Give it a try Ichigo."

'Alright.' Ichigo said before releasing his flames into the air. The flames then broke apart and scattered before they took on the form of a guy with an ordinary sword. 'It worked.'

"**You know Ichigo, after seeing that quincy girl and being hugged by Nelliel, I was honestly thinking you would create a hot girl instead."**

**'**Hey! Shut up will you.' Ichigo grumbled before having his summoned army change forms, From wolves to tigers to eagles

**"Here's an extra tip for you Ichigo. In this technique, your flames become malleable like a clay so it is not entirely limited to being living creature, although summoning inanimate objects will take more focus and effort so don't use it too often and it has its own limitations. I'll leave you to find that out for yourself."**

**'**So I can make stuff like cars or something?'

"Yes but if you do that the cars won't move. Remember, whatever shape it takes, it is still only flames and are thus limited in what it can do. For example, if you have it transform into someone, your flames will not be able to use his or her abilities. Here is my suggestion Ichigo, instead of using it offensively, use it for utility purposes such as creating a prison to trap your enemies or scouting."

Ichigo then decided to try out Zangetsu's suggestion. He had the army he just summoned gather together and they formed a giant box with some holes in it. 'How'd I do?'

"It's decent for now Ichigo. So just focus on what you really want it to form and do not have it change forms. Even if it is by accident, if you have it turn into something else, it will turn into what you want so be very careful about this."

Unknown to Ichigo, the four espadas were watching him from afar. A distance good enough for them to see clearly yet far enough that Ichigo's abilities couldn't reach them

Ichigo's training however, was interrupted when he felt four hollows heading his way and each were at the level of the ones that guarded the menos forest.

"What do we have here brothers? A random soul reaper." one of the adjuchas hollows said. This hollow looked like a centipede but with only about twelve legs. Unlike Yammy however, this one was smaller, much weaker and was still a pure hollow and not an arrancar

"He seems different from a different from other soul reapers." another one said. The second hollow was rather odd. It had four tails as well as blade like protrusions above its hands. It also had two more tails but this one was connected to its upper back instead of the lower one

"Yeah. Are you really a soul reaper? Why you not wearing one of those black things?" the third one said. This one appeared to be just an ordinary hollow except that its hands were shaped like a five pointed talon

"Who cares? Just eat him. We'll become vasto lordes if we eat someone as powerful as he is." the final one said. This hollow appeared to be a snake and a very long one at that. It also had wing like protrusions right below its head which makes its appearance like a dragon of some sort

The espada saw what was going on from a far. Nel immediately moved to intercept but Starrk put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't. Let's see what he can do." he said with Nel looking at Ichigo with worry

'Are these guys for real?'

"**This is such a pain in the ass. Just kill them Ichigo."**

**'**I have a better idea.' Ichigo told him which caused White and Zangetsu to raise an eyebrow in confusion. "So are you four just gonna stand there or what?" Ichigo mocked the hollows

The hollows immediately attacked where he was standing but Ichigo just jumped and avoided them. When the four hollows realized what he had done, they launched multiple attacks at him to which Ichigo just nonchalantly dodged

"Stand still soul reaper." the third hollow yelled out as he was trying to attack Ichigo with his talons. He launched a next attack with his other hand but Ichigo just blocked it with his own hand before single handedly ripping off one of the fingers. "That was my finger. Damn you soul reaper, now I'm gonna kill you." it yelled before Ichigo just kicked it away

As the talon clawed hollow was pushed away, the centipede hollow took over the attack and stood upright on the two legs at the back. He then fired spikes from his other legs, creating dust at where Ichigo stood. "HAHAHAHA! Die soul reaper, then we will feast on you." he said but his jaw dropped when the dust finally cleared. Ichigo just stood there not only unharmed, but not a single one of the spikes managed to pierce his body

"Is this the best you can do?" Ichigo said before flashing in front of the centipede hollow and kicking him down to the ground, effectively breaking its back.

The four tailed hollow then immediately attacked him from behind as Ichigo noticed that its tails can actually extend. Ichigo just dodged them using a simple side step but since the four tails were heading in the same direction, the hollow instead wrapped Ichigo in a bind. Almost immediately, the snake hollow raised its tail up and launched it towards Ichigo

Ichigo just sighed at the efforts before grabbing his trench knife and slashing sidewards, slicing both of the hollow's tails in one go. "Now it's my turn." Ichigo said with a grin before releasing flames towards the four hollows. The four of them dodged it, even the centipede one

"**I have to admit, that was a pretty good idea Ichigo."**

"You should learn how to aim soul reaper." the centipede hollow said before noticing something odd. The flames then changed forms to look exactly like him and his other comrades. "What the hell?"

"What is this?" the taloned hollow said as their clones attacked viscously attacked them. Caught by surprise, the four hollows were caught by surprise and were immediately pushed back

The four hollows then continued to fight their duplicates while Ichigo just watched them with a grin as he returned his trench knife to his right hip. Annoyed by their opponent's power, the four tailed hollow decided to have both of its tails on the back go undergound and soon enough it emerged below Ichigo, catching him off guard and binding him

Caught by surprise, Ichigo lost focus and the hollow duplicates ceased their attack. The hollows noticed this and immediately moved to attack him while he was still in a bind. Realizing his situation, Ichigo then had his flames transform from being hollow duplicates. It turned back into regular flames and flew around the four hollows, trapping them before it them formed into a cage. The hollows tried to break free but the cage holding them was far too sturdy to destroy with force alone. With the hollows trapped, Ichigo broke free from his binding and sliced the tails that were holding him

"Alright, looks like I still need some practice before I can use that." Ichigo said nonchalantly as he walked towards his prisoners. 'When used like this, can I have it turn into the original flames? The one that burns or turn my target to stone?'

"Yes Ichigo. Since this technique is a sub technique of your inferno, you can turn between the two whenever you like. Think of your inferno and summoning techniques like two sides of the same coin Ichigo. Despite being a sub technique of the inferno, your summoning technique is basically the utility or defensive form whereas the inferno itself is the offensive form."

'Gotcha.' Ichigo said before one of the bars of the cage broke itself, turn into flames and engulfed centipede hollow, effectively turning it to stone. 'When I turn something to stone, is that permanent?'

"**It depends on you Ichigo. When you turn something to stone, it will remain as a stone until you choose to lift its effects. The only way for anyone to break free from its effects is for when they are on the same or higher level of power than yours."**

'Alright then.' Ichigo said before having the bars open on one side, freeing his attackers. He then decided to lift the petrification on the centipede hollow. 'If I use the flames on them, can I control them like I would a corpse?'

"No you cannot. Even though they are much weaker than you, they still have enough power to resist its influence. The only way you can control a living being is when they have little to no spirit energy."

"You should have killed us when you had the chance soul reaper!" the snake hollow yelled as it and its cohorts went out through the cage's opening and moved to attack an Ichigo who was conversating with his inner spirits

"I've had enough of you." Ichigo coldly said before grabbing his khyber knife and unleashing a massive torrent of flames, burning them all to ashes

The arrancars were in awe as they watched Ichigo. Even though they were adjuchas class hollows, Ichigo didn't even suffer a scratch. In fact, even they themselves doubted if they could take on four adjuchas hollows without receiving some kind of injuries. The fact that Ichigo took them all down while still training

Back with Ichigo

"**Ichigo. You need to go home now. It's only about a couple hours until dawn."**

**'**Alright. I think that's enough. For now anyway.' Ichigo replied as he was putting his swords away

Before he could do anything else, he suddenly heard someone clapping behind him. He turned around and saw the four espadas walking towards him

"Impressive Ichigo. I knew you were strong but I never even imagined that strong." Starrk said as he stopped clapping

"Yes. Your power really is something else." Harribel added

"Are you alright Ichigo?" Nel worriedly asked him

"Yeah. Those guys weren't even a challenge. I did let my guard down for a bit though." Ichigo said before realizing something. "Wait, how long have you guys been watching?"

"We have been watching you for a good while Ichigo, even before those adjuchas hollows attacked you." Ulquiorra answered him

"Really? How come I didn't sense you? I had my pesquisa active all the time." Ichigo curiously asked

Starrk just gave a smile that looked like he was gonna laugh out loud. "We are hollows Ichigo. While it is true that you can detect someone's spirit energy, fellow hollows who are powerful enough can also hide themselves from another's pesquisa. Assuming of course that is what you meant."

"Oh I didn't know that." Ichigo just muttered. 'Hey. Is what he is saying true?'

"It is Ichigo."

'Why did you not tell me?'

"**It wasn't important. Remember, you had no quarrels with the arrancars after you left hueco mundo so there is no reason for them to go to the world of the living."**

'A little heads up would have been nice.'

"What are you going to do now Ichigo?" Nel asked him

"I think I'm gonna go home now. It's almost daytime in the world of the living and I don't wanna make myself look suspicious." Ichigo answered him to which Nel pouted

"Do you need help going home?" Harribel asked him

"No. I can do it." Ichigo said before opening up a garganta behind him. "Yeah that reminds me. Is it alright if I visit here again?"

"Yes." Ulquiorra simply said and the others nodded in agreement

"Alright then see you later." Ichigo said as he waved them good bye and the garganta closed

"So what do you think about all this Ulquiorra?" Starrk asked when Ichigo finally left

"Regardless of whether or not Ichigo was telling the truth or not about this Yhwach person, it is worth considering. If there is anything we have learned from Aizen, it is better that we be prepared for anything. We should start training in the event Yhwach actually attacks us." Ulquiorra answered

"Wouldn't Ichigo come and help us?" Nel asked

"There is a chance the he won't Nelliel." Harribel answered. "He only said that his goal was to kill Yhwach. He also mentioned that Yhwach's target was the soul society. There is a strong possibility that Yhwach might send an invasion force to us while also attacking the soul society at the same time. If that does happen, Ichigo would probably be at the soul society, waiting for his opening."

"Yeah. Besides, I'm not gonna be like the soul reapers who rely on Ichigo alone." Starrk said

"Really? Coming from you?" Nel questioned in surprise

"Even I am surprised at this change of heart." Harribel added

"I know I know but Ichigo appeared to be really serious about it. I may be lazy but I certainly don't wanna get beat up." Starrk told them

"Let's go back and inform the others to train as soon as possible." Ulquiorra said before going back with the others following him

In the garganta

Ichigo was still walking back towards the world of the living. 'Hey. There's something I don't understand. How exactly do my flames work?'

"What do you mean by that Ichigo?"

'I mean what I said. How does flames turn into objects and lose its ability to burn anything? That doesn't make any sense to me.'

"They are not actually flames Ichigo. Your power is to subjugate the darkness. Those flames that you use are just a manifestation of the darkness. The flames are just the shape your powers take. That is why it can change and lose its ability to burn anything."

"**It also doesn't by definition, burn or petrify Ichigo."**

'What do you mean?'

"**Tell me, what do you think the darkness does?"**

'Uh destroy? Consume?'

"**Exactly. When your flames burns or petrifies, it doesn't actually do that in the classic way. Instead, what it does is it consumes your targets temperature. All beings must have a balance of heat and cold or they will melt or freeze. When your flames devours the specific temperature, it also enhances the opposite, achieving the same effects as burning or petrifying. Also when you petrify something it doesn't actually turn to stone but the effects of your powers robs your targets ability to move while at the same time covering their body with the darkness and holds them still."**

**'**I get it. Why you didn't tell me this earlier?'

"**Because it is much simpler to tell you that it burns or petrifies rather than telling you all the details. Since it will do what you intend to your target, it will still appear burned or petrified regardless if you know the details of it."**

'I still get the feeling you think I wouldn't understand which is why you didn't give me the details.'

"**Maybe I do."** White said with Ichigo feeling his zanpakuto just grinning at him

'Oh I almost forgot, if I have it take the form of an object, can it still have its ability to alter temperatures?'

"Yes however it would require even more focus to be used like that and you are not ready for it. The best way to use it Ichigo is for scouting since that requires less focus."

'Well at least I know how it works. If I turn it into an object, can I have that object go invisible? More importantly, can I still use it to spy on a different place?'

"Yes all of that is possible Ichigo. This means you can spy on multiple areas at the same time. But I have to tell you this. If you make even the slightest mistake you might make it visible."

'You said it will only change when I want it to change. So I guess I'll just have to use it to spy and nothing more.'

"**You could but that isn't as easy as it sounds. Practice it first before doing it or you'll screw up."**

**'**Fine. I will. One more thing. How exactly does the flames make something invisible?'

"**I already told you. It will only consume what you want it to consume. By targeting the light that's in contact with you as well as your own shadow, it gives the illusion you are invisible. That being said, you can come up with some pretty neat ways to use your flames, both the inferno and summoning techniques when you have mastered it."**

**'**My abilities may be about the darkness but I'm really starting to like it.'

Ichigo soon arrived back his room. He checked the clock and saw it was nearly five in the morning.' Now what?'

"Get some rest Ichigo. If something comes up, we'll wake you up."

'Ok I guess I'm feeling a bit tired after that.'

* * *

**Well, looks like this one wasn't delayed. Hope you enjoyed that one**

**Translations:**

**Owari no nai teiden inferuno - Unending Blackout Inferno**

**Fujōna ningyō shōkan - Unholy Puppet Summoning**


	25. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Four - Uninvited ****Guests**

A few days later, school finally resumed. In the morning, Ichigo decided to finally tell everything that happened up until the point where he 'lost' his powers. Since his friends already saw him as a soul reaper, none of them were surprised at Ichigo's revelation although Tatsuki was a bit pissed Ichigo didn't tell her right away.

A more interesting part was that there was a new student in the class. Keigo in particular went insane at seeing a hot new transfer student named Bambietta Basterbine. Ichigo, on the other hand, just pretended to be his usual uncaring self despite knowing the fact the the new student wasn't a human at all

Right now, it was lunch time and Ichigo chose to stand on the school's rooftop alone. One thing Ichigo had noticed, was Orihime. For some reason, she seemed to be avoiding Ichigo and appeared rather afraid of him. 'What's with Orihime? She seems rather different today.'

"**Really Ichigo? Two hot girls with big boobs are not enough for you? Consider me impressed."**

**'**Hey! What the hell is wrong with you?'

"**I should be the one asking you that. You keep denying being interested in girls. Don't tell me you're gay."**

'Shut up! I'm not gay alright. I just respect girls and I refuse to take advantage of them.'

"**Yeah keep telling yourself that."**

'You are a pain you know that. Still though, why does Orihime seem afraid of me anyway?'

"**Oh that would be because of me."**

'What did you do to her?'

"**When Ulquiorra nearly killed you, I saved your ass, again and after I let him and Starrk live, I berated the girl."**

'What? Why the hell did you do that?'

**"Why wouldn't I?"**

**'**She was kidnapped and then you berate her? What the hell were you thinking?'

"**You moron. She wasn't kidnapped, she willingly went with them. Even that brainless head captain said it himself. That girl had to hear it, To think she is supposed to be the third smartest in your class yet can't figure out or at least have a clue that it was a trap. Bottom line is, she put you in unnecessary danger. That whole invasion of hueco mundo could have been avoided if she simply used her damn head. If you think someone like that deserves to get away with it you're sadly mistaken. Granted, she is not afraid of you, she is afraid of me. After all I did nearly suffocate the life out of her."**

This, of course, infuriated Ichigo but before he could respond, he felt a senkaimon open nearby, along with three low level soul reapers. 'Is that a senkaimon? What are they doing here?' he asked as he looked sharply at the direction which it opened. Luckily, none of his friends, as well as the new student Bambi was nearby so nobody noticed him feel the soul reapers come

"**Hold on. There is something odd about this. The ones who came here are not captains nor lieutenants."**

"These are probably the ones who are ordered to find the other substitute soul reaper. Ichigo, keep an eye on them."

'I can't believe they chose now of all times to come here.'

"I think they chose this time precisely because you are in school. If they intend to spy on you, they will not have to go look for you."

'Yeah well, those bastards have another thing coming.'

"**You idiot. Don't leave your body now." **White called out as Ichigo prepared to leave his body

'What? How am I supposed to deal with them if I'm in my body?'

"You don't have to. Ichigo, go to the bathroom and leave your body there. Once you left it, summon a few soldiers and have them go invisible. Use it to deal with the soul reapers."

'I can't even control it that good yet. I might screw this up and reveal those things I summoned.'

"It is alright Ichigo. The traces of your spirit energy is now different from what the soul society knows. Even if they survive, they will not know who's power was it that attacked them."

"**It is also for the better that your zombies reveal themselves. Since the soul reapers are gonna be laying low while they spy on you, they will be forced to use their powers and risk revealing themselves. Whether your zombies kill them or not, they will be forced to make a choice they wouldn't like"**

**'**You better be right about that.' Ichigo said before heading to the bathroom and leaving his body. At the bathroom, he entered a stool and hid inside before leaving his body. He then summoned six zombies in the shape of a regular human with swords before making them invisible. As Ichigo prepared to go invisible himself

"**Ichigo, don't go out. Just stay in your body**."

'Huh? Why?'

"You can control your zombies even in your human body Ichigo. You don't need to be in your spirit form to control it since it only requires your mind."

'Ok gotcha.' Ichigo replied before re entering his body and having his zombies move out

"**Don't worry about it too much Ichigo. As we said, nobody is gonna know it's your spirit energy and if the soul reapers make some noise, it will be bad for them. Although, one of these days you will have to personally get rid of the soul reaper spies."**

**'**Why?'

"**To throw off any suspicion that it is you. If they put together the timing and who they are spying on, it might make the think it's you despite that fact that they think you are powerless and might potentially limit your options."**

**'**Won't that make me more suspicious?'

"It will not Ichigo. If you attack them when you are supposed to be at school while using your Unholy Puppet Summoning to control your body during the attack, it will completely invalidate any accusations that you are involved. Remember, they think you have lost your powers. Even if they think you still have it, the fact that you are in school while they are being attacked should remove you as a suspect. In their minds, it is impossible to be in two places at once."

"**That is true. Your powers only allow you to give the illusion that you are in two places at once when in fact you are in one place and mentally controlling your body or zombies who are in another."**

'Still though, if my zombies are invisible, how are they supposed to attack?'

"**That should be obvious. The same rules apply to them as when you use it. In fact, it goes to anything you have invisible. Any offensive action will reveal them, which is why this works to your advantage. A spy does not want to be found."**

**'**Here I was thinking I would never use that zombie technique. Damn Yhwach and the soul society.' Ichigo grumbled as he returned to his classroom while mentally controlling his zombies

The two soul reapers who arrived were from the stealth force with orders to thoroughly scout the town for any signs of the first substitute soul reaper, Kugo Ginjo. At the moment, they were not yet ordered to spy on Ichigo

"So what's the plan?" one of them asked as they exited the senkaimon and arrived at a rooftop of a building

"Our orders are to thoroughly search the town for anyone suspicious." the second one answered him. He was the one who lead the trio through the senkaimon

"What about the first substitute soul reaper? Isn't he the guy we are supposed to find?" the third one questioned

"He is. However, he was laying low for a long time now. Captain Soi Fon told me it is possible that he may have allies. That is our main objective for now. To scout for anyone affiliated with Kugo Ginjo." the second one explained

"What about Ichigo Kurosaki? I remember captain Soi Fon mentioning that Ginjo might make contact with Kurosaki." the first one pointed out

"Ichigo Kurosaki has returned to a normal human life by now. We know that he will be at Karakura High School during the day on weekdays. That is why our first priority is to find anyone suspicous in the town. Once we have reported that, the higher ups can decide what to do accordingly." the second one answered him. "Now split up. We rendezvous back here in four hours. Let's go."

With that, the three of them split up and headed to different directions in the town. Being members of the stealth force, they knew how to hide their spiritual pressures. What they didn't know however, was that some weird creatures doing a counter spy on them. When they split up, two creatures followed each of them

One of the soul reapers wound up in the area where the fullbringers were staying. Unfortunately for him, one of the fullbringers, Jackie, saw him although she did not make it obvious. The soul reaper thought everyone in the area were just regular humans and thus had no particular reason to be that stealthy. The soul society was even careful enough to take measures so that Kisuke would not notice unless they screwed up

'Soul reapers? What are they doing here?' Jackie thought as she saw one of them while walking back to the house. Immediately, she decided to hurry back home to inform to her two comrades in the house. "Riruka, Yukio." she said as she entered the house

"What is it?" Yukio asked nonchalantly while still playing a video game with Riruka reading a book and ignoring them

"Soul reapers are here." Jackie answered, immediately getting both of their attention

"What?! Are you sure?" Riruka asked surprised

"I am. They have hidden their spiritual pressures. They are probably from this stealth force group that Ginjo once told us about. I only got lucky that they think only regular humans were in this area and got sloppy." Jackie explained

"This is bad. I'll tell Ginjo to stay out of town for now." Yukio said before grabbing a phone. Usually, he and Riruka rarely concern themselves with any of this but with soul reaper spies in the area, even they have to get serious

Another of the soul reapers somehow wound up near Ichigo's school. Realizing where he was, he was extra careful as he was made aware that Ichigo's friends can see spirits. He could sense that Ichigo's friends were in their classroom and concluded that they were in the middle of a class. He decided to risk scouting the school instead. Like with the other guy, he was unfortunate as Bambietta saw him as she was walking in the halls but like with Jackie, she made sure not to give the soul reaper any hints that she saw him

'For real? How dumb does a stealth force member have to be to roam an area that has spiritually aware humans?' Bambietta thought as she recognized immediately from which squad the soul reaper was from. 'Whatever the case, seems like I'm not the only one who has to lay low. I'll have to find a way to interrogate one of them though just to be safe.' she thought while walking back to her classroom, assuming that a stealth force member soul reaper was here on an espionage mission

The last soul reaper on the other hand, was the luckiest among the three. He ended up in the mall area and did a search, finding no one suspicious. He moved on and searched a nearby place that was a residence area, again finding no one suspicious

The three of them were still completely oblivious to the fact that Ichigo had been keeping an eye on them since before they split up. Much later, they rendezvous at the same rooftop they arrived in

"So, what did you find?" the guy who went near the fullbringer residence asked

"Nothing much. Nobody in the mall area was suspicious at all. Just regular humans enjoying their life. What about you?" the one who went in the mall and residence areas gave his report

"Just the same. I went to one of the residential areas and found no one of interest whatsoever. The higher ups aren't gonna be pleased at our results." the first guy said

"I wouldn't necessarily say that. Most likely scenario is that they will send another batch of stealth force members to do another recon to gather more intelligence. This is after all only the first try." the second guy thought

"Perhaps. I even went to Ichigo Kurosaki's school and even that place had no one of interest." the third guy said

"For real? You took that chance?" the first guy said

"I did. Ichigo's friends were in one classroom so I went around the school and avoided that particular classroom." the third guy answered

"You had better be sure nobody saw you for that." the second guy said

"I was sure about it. Unless of course the intel that only Ichigo's friends can see spirits was off. I didn't even see anyone who noticed me and I stayed there for a good while." the third guy explained

"Well you better be right about that or Soi Fon is gonna have your head. Let's go back." the first guy said and prepared to open a senkaimon

As the soul reapers were heading to the rendezvous, it was at the same time school went out and the students were going home now

"Hey, Ichigo. What's up with you? School just resumed and you are so grumpy?" Keigo whined as he pointed out Ichigo's mood earlier during the afternoon. What he didn't know however was that Ichigo was busy observing some uninvited guests on different parts of town. "Are you ignoring me?! Why do you have to be so cold?!" he continued to whine before suddenly being kicked

"Shut the hell up you idiot." Tatsuki berated Keigo. "This is probably Ichigo's first day of school without his powers. Give him some time to adjust."

"Thanks Tatsuki." Ichigo said, grateful that he didn't have to deal with a whining idiot. "I'm going home now."

"Wait Ichigo." Tatsuki called out

"What is it?" Ichigo asked

"Are you alright?" Tatsuki asked, concerned about her friend

"I am. Just getting used to not being a soul reaper anymore." Ichigo answered back before leaving. The rest of his friends soon headed their separate ways as well

"That's odd Orihime." Tatsuki said as she noticed something odd about her best friend. "You usually greet Ichigo good bye."

"Oh it's nothing really." Orihime said while waving her arms in defense

"Something happened, didn't it?" Tatsuki persisted. "What happened between you two?" she asked when she noticed Orihime's rather sad expression

"I'll tell you that at home." Orihime finally gave in after a few moments of silence, knowing there was no way to change Tatsuki's mind

With Ichigo

'They still haven't gone back. Do i get rid of them? What do you guys think?' Ichigo asked as he noticed the soul reapers arrived at their rendezvous

"**Do it Ichigo. The more soul reapers die the more they will be kept on their toes."**

'If I kill them now, the soul society would just send more of them here to uncover what happened.'

"**That is why at least once, you kill them personally and reveal that the zombies are under your control. When you do kill them personally though, make sure to let at least one of them alive."**

'Why?'

"**So that they will give the report of the time that they were attacked. Doing so would force the soul society to ask Kisuke or your friends about the deaths and in doing so would reveal that they have been sending troops here, making Kisuke get suspicious about them. If the soul society decides to send more spies here it would also limit the options of those weirdos as well as that Bambietta girl."**

**'**How exactly would it limit their options?'

"**Because if they slip up, they would give away the fact that they are not regular humans. Now get rid of those soul reapers."**

'I see. Alright then.' Ichigo replied before mentally ordering his zombies to attack the soul reapers, who at the moment, were in the middle of discussing their findings

As the soul reapers were about to open a senkaimon, they were suddenly attack by weird looking creatures, creatures that they have never seen or heard of before. It was Ichigo's zombies from his Unholy Puppet Summoning technique

The zombies appeared out of thin air and immediately pinned the soul reapers to the ground. Like an unranked soul reaper, their fighting abilities were downright pathetic. Ichigo didn't even have to actively control the zombies to dodge or attack at specific spots as the soul reapers were just laughable. Ichigo on the other hand, was just calmly walking back to his house clearly not minding that he was attacking a bunch of soul reapers

'Do I let them have a fighting chance at this?' Ichigo asked as he was nearing his house

"That would depend on you Ichigo, if you want to make the soul society look suspicious now or not."

'What would be at stake of the soul society were to look suspicious now? And how exactly would that make Kisuke suspicious of them?'

"Think about it Ichigo. The main purpose of the stealth force is either to gather intelligence or to assassinate someone. If they are here, they would do just that and I am sure even Kisuke would find it odd if they bother not to tell him about it which would cause him to think that you and your friends are potential targets. Even if he did not suspect something was up, it would limit the soul society's options as they have to be prepared for the possibility that Kisuke would do some research of his own about what the stealth force is doing here in the first place."

'So I'm supposed to play everyone like they are on a chessboard? Still what do you think? Would I reveal the stealth force's presence here now or not? I think I should train more about my powers first.'

"**Yeah you will if you want to finish off Yhwach for good. Don't take any chances. And to be honest, I agree with you. It is best to hide the stealth force's presence for now. You can always reveal it when you are ready."**

'Alright then.' Ichigo said before having his zombies go full out. Instead of them just doing hand to hand combat against the soul reapers, three of them incapacitated the soul reapers by either grabbing their arms or pinning them to the ground while the other three grabbed their swords and cut them down, finishing them off

"Seems like we do not have much time before things get rough. Ichigo, we will inform you about the rest of your techniques. Over the next few days, you will have to practice them inside your inner world."

'You mean I won't practice in the real world? Why?'

"You do not have to be in the outside world for the rest of your techniques. Unlike your inferno and summoning techniques, the rest won't require as much mental effort like the other two."

'Just a moment.' Ichigo said as he finally arrived home, preparing for the inevitable. As Ichigo opened the door

"Welcome home daddy kick." Isshin yelled as he tried to kick Ichigo who merely sidestepped and avoided the attack. Ichigo then used the momentum from his father's kick and kicked him all the way to the other side of the road

"This is getting really old dad." Ichigo said as he walked up to his room. 'I'm sorry about that. What were you saying?'

"It is quite alright Ichigo. That was to be expected whenever you come home. At any rate, there are only three techniques left for you to use. We will tell you two of them now and the last one when you have mastered all of your abilities, including your quincy and hollow powers."

'Alright. So what are these techniques?' Ichigo said as he finally settled in his room

"The first is called Fukushū no hametsu no sokubaku and it creates chains to bind your target. Like with your other techniques, this one has some added effects. The first is obviously to bind someone down, the others would take effect once you make the chain itself vanish from sight. Whatever you choose to bind with the chains, you will always know where it is located, even when you are in a different world."

'How is that any different from me using my puppet summoning technique to keep track of my enemies?'

"**Because it doesn't spy on them like you can use your zombies. It only tells their location nothing more and nothing less. In simple terms, once the chains is cast upon a certain target, you will know if that target is in this world or not regardless of how good they are at hiding their spiritual pressures. It also has another effect. If a target was affected by the chains even once, you can relocate them back to where the chains was cast upon them, placing a curse of some sorts."**

**'**Relocate as in teleportation?'

"**In a way yes. However, instead of classic teleportation, the only destination is the place where it was originally cast and it works across worlds. For example, you bound someone here in your house and you make the chains vanish and they travel to the soul society. You can relocate them here back in your house whenever you want to. Like with your other abilities, its effects can only be lifted when you choose to do it yourself or when they have equal or greater level of power than your own."**

**'**What's the other one?'

"It is called Yūrei no bēru. It obscures the light in the sky, creating the illusion that it is night time during the day. This technique requires your complete intention of utterly destroying someone as it also increases the capabilities of your other techniques by at least four times. It also has another effect. It allows your inferno to instead of just burning or petrifying something, to create explosions as well. How large of an explosion would depend on you. It also allows you to create pillars of darkness and anything in between the pillars will be utterly destroyed. This technique is called Mokushiroku no 7tsu no chimei-tekina hashira. Although you can only use the pillars when the veil is active."

'Alright. I'll train at night so that everyone thinks nothing's off about me.'

"That is fine Ichigo."

'Hey, there's something I wanna ask you. When I awakened after you told me about who or what I really am, I released a bit of my spiritual pressure for the soul reapers to feel before lifting it in the next few days. Won't they be able to figure out it is me who is attacking them based on the spiritual pressure from when I attack the stealth force and the one I released?'

"**They won't. You see Ichigo, during that time, your spiritual pressure was still the same as your old one except on a much higher level. When you finally received your true zanpakuto, your spiritual pressure also changed drastically and it is completely different from your previous one."**

**'**That's good. You two better have a plan to deal with Yhwach in case my cover is blown.'

"**Of course we do Ichigo. Now just finish up the family stuff you have so you can finally begin training."**

* * *

**Finished the next one. I decided to just describe the rest of Ichigo's powers instead of writing a chapter dedicated to them like I previously did because those were kinda tedious to write. Also, I will only use the english translations of Ichigo's powers along with a specific key word to denote which ability is being used**

**Translations / Key Word**

**Owari no nai teiden inferuno - Unending Blackout Inferno / Inferno**

**Fujōna ningyō shōkan - Unholy Puppet Summoning / Summoning**

**Fukushū no hametsu no sokubaku - ****Bindings of Vengeful Damnation / Chains**

**Yūrei no bēru - Haunted Veil / Veil**

**Mokushiroku no 7tsu no chimei-tekina hashira - Seven Deadly Pillars of the Apocalypse / Pillars**

**The ones on the right would be the words I would use to denote which ability of Ichigo's is being referred to just to simplify things. For example, haunted veil will be referred to as simply 'veil'. I will also refer to the things summoned by the summoning technique as 'zombies' or 'puppet's**


	26. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Five - Dealing with Unwanted Guests**

Three weeks later

-Soul Society, Squad Two Barracks-

Soi Fon was interrogating one of her squad members on the status of the spies sent to the world of the living. "What news do you have? Has the scouting party returned?"

"I am sorry captain. We have not heard anything from the spies we sent to the world of the living since their departure. There has also been no sign of the senkaimon opening since their departure." the stealth force member answered

"Very well then. You may leave." Soifon said which elicited a nod from her subordinate who promptly left. "Damn it. Have they been attacked during the mission?" she wondered

"What's going on captain?" Marechiyo asked as he was approaching his captain while eating a very large bag of chips. "Is it the spies we sent?"

"Indeed Marechiyo. For some reason, they still haven't come back." Soi Fon answered

"Doesn't that mean they found something out and investigated further?" Marechiyo asked

"Either that or they have been compromised and have been taken captive. We would be lucky if they were only killed. If they have been found and tortured for information then it is not good for us." Soi Fon answered cryptically

"What do we do about this captain?" Marechiyo asked

"For now we will have to find a way to investigate this from here. Obviously the one who attacked us somehow knew how to find a person who's hidden his spiritual pressure." Soi Fon told him

"Could it be our target, the first substitute soul reaper?" Marechiyo wondered. "I mean, he is familiar with how the soul society operates right?"

"Not necessarily. Kugo Ginjo was only given the information about the squads themselves but not their particular purpose. Also, it happened way too quick. There is no way Ginjo would have known that we were sending spies to find him. It's almost as if the one who killed them knew what we were up to." Soi Fon pointed out

"So does that mean that there is another traitor here?" Marechiyo further questioned

"It is possible but highly unlikely. The problem with this idea is that there is no way anyone from here could have sent any warning of some sort to the world of the living without us knowing." Soi Fon said before kicking Marechiyo's chips away, causing him to panic. "Marechiyo, you better not slack off here. I'm going to the department of research and development to see what they can find out about this."

"Y-y-y yes captain." Marechiyo said nervously as he watched his captain leave

-Karakura Town-

For the past three weeks, Ichigo has opted to train to multitask instead of training on how to use his veil and chains techniques. He decided it was more important to learn how to effectively utilize his zombies without drawing attention to himself like when Keigo noticed he was behaving rather oddly. Last time, Ichigo was lucky it was only the first day of school resumption otherwise he would have been in trouble. Over the course of learning how to master it, Ichigo finally realized the full extent of its limits and a very unique quality, he can switch between his flames and chains techniques at will. Using it as living creatures, it can only do melee attacks. It does however, have the ability to extend from close range melee attacks to long range melee attacks, similar to Gin Ichimaru's zanpakuto as long as Ichigo actively controls it. He also learned a convenience part, he can actually just give orders to his zombies and they will continue to do it until either Ichigo actively controls them or when he gives them a different set of orders. He was actually surprised that he has a technique that creates an army at his disposal. When used as inanimate objects however, that was a completely different story. While it still has its limits as inanimate objects such as turning into a car and not being able to drive, it was the perfect ability to ambush someone. He can just have it pretend to be a shadow or having it go invisible before turning into chains to bind someone down or to curse then to be locked in a certain place. He also learned that regardless of what form they take, he can still use it to burn or petrify whenever he needs it to. While Ichigo still hasn't perfected it yet, he has greatly improved over the last three weeks

One thing Ichigo did find odd however, was that the soul society has not sent anyone to the world of the living since he killed the stealth force members. 'Strange. It's been three weeks since the stealth force was sent here. Why hasn't the soul society sent anyone else?' Ichigo wondered as he was walking to school

"**Why do you find that so strange?"**

**'**Why wouldn't I?'

"**Because that's how an assassin's life Ichigo, it is never straightforward. Well, maybe the goal is straightforward but how you accomplish it is never easy. You have to constantly adapt and wait for the right opportunity otherwise you give your intentions or yourself away. And since assassins are usually for sneaky missions, this also means they are good at espionage. Even morons as stupid as the soul society understands that. I'm guessing they probably think that those stealth force members found out something and decided to investigate further."**

**"**While all of that is true, Ichigo is right to question this."

'What do you mean old man?'

"**I'm curious about that myself."**

**"**It has been three weeks since they were killed yet nobody from the soul society came to investigate. The bodies still have not completely dissipated and no spiritual being has even entered close to the place they were killed. I think that the soul society is aware or at the very least suspects of their deaths and is planning their next move."

'Next move of what?'

"On how to approach this. Their spies were killed the day they were sent here and were unable to relay any information to the higher ups. There is a strong possibility that the next ones that the soul society sends would be better trained and be ready for a sudden attack. Most likely the ones who have very keen ability to sense spiritual pressure. Either that or they have chosen not to act until the department of research and development could find a reasonable explanation to what happened to the spies."

'What makes you so sure they'd go to the rnd?'

"Where else would the soul society go for matters like this?"

"**Well, it that's the case then they're probably gonna find out about their dead spies. Hmmmmmm."**

**"**What are you thinking about?"

"**Assuming that they find the dead bodies, it would be extremely foolish for them to attempt the same thing twice. A slight problem might present itself if they decide to get Kisuke involved in this."**

**'**Wait, you said that that was the point. If Kisuke gets involved then the soul society's options would be limited.'

"**It was. If Kisuke gets involved in this then you will be allowed some breathing room as the soul society would not spy on you directly. The problem is if Kisuke decides to keep an eye on you. Though, this is very very unlikely to happen given how much Kisuke trusts you. If he does decide to keep an eye on you, then it would probably be to see if the soul society suspects you. In any case, it is better to be safe than sorry."**

**"**Indeed. Since you have a very good control over your summoning technique, I think it is time for you to set them up in various parts of the town and eliminate any member of the soul society that comes here."

'Alright. I'll do that during lunch time.' Ichigo said as he finally arrived at school

A few hours later at lunch time, he sneaked to the bathroom and created ten zombies and hid them. He then scattered them in different parts of the town, including the area near Urahara shop and even had one stay inside Urahara's shop, his underground training to be exact. Just before the afternoon classes start, he felt two new spiritually aware beings enter the town and after a few minutes, settled at the residence where the unidentified beings were staying. Luckily for him, he had already summoned his zombies and hid them invisible so now all he had to do was wait

At the fullbringer house

Over the last three weeks, the fullbringers have been busy gathering intel on Ichigo as well as his friends. They have gathered quite a bit of intel, enough for them to work with. Ichigo did feel them go near his friends as well as anything that was related to them. Since they did keep their distance and that Ichigo knew what they were doing, he decided to let them do what they were doing and wait until he finds out who they are with before acting

Two people arrived in the house where the fullbringers stayed. One of them having an eye patch and the other with a scar on the side of his left eye

"It's about time you got here." Riruka grumbled, as usual

"I apologize for that. When you said that there were soul reapers here we had to be careful in our approach." Giriko said as he and Tsukishima entered

"Whatever." Riruka shrugged. "Hey can we get a bigger place for our operations? This place is too small."

"Can you ever not complain about anything Riruka?" Yukio asked while organizing some of the data they have written on papers

"What is your problem Yukio?! Why do you always disagree with me?" Riruka raged

"Alright enough." Tsukishima said which grabbed their attention. "So, what have you got so far?"

"Just a few details about Ichigo's friends. First off, there is Uryu Ishida who is a quincy. Apparently he met Ichigo because he wanted to challenge him to a hollow killing duel. The second is Yasutora Sado. He and Ichigo usually teams up in order to deal with the school bullies. The last one is Orihime Inoue. This one's a no brainer. She is head over heels for Ichigo Kurosaki. That's about it for Ichigo's friends who have powers." Jackie replied which caused Riruka to silently fume

"Seems like someone is jealous." Yukio nonchalantly said as he noticed Riruka's expression

"Shut it! I am not jealous!." Riruka yelled with bright red face while pointing a finger at Yukio

Jackie, Giriko and Tsukishima just sighed at the two before going back to business

"What about Ichigo's other friends? I would have thought that exposure to Ichigo's power would have affected them in some way." Giriko pondered

"That is true to a certain extent." Yukio said while finding a specific piece of paper and after a while, he finally found it. "Here it is. His friends are Tatsuki Arisawa, Keigo Asano, Mizuiro Kojima, Chizuru Honshō and Michiru Ogawa. Only this Tatsuki has an interesting story with Ichigo. She apparently was part of a dojo Ichigo was in. The others were just close to Ichigo because they have been classmates for a very long time. All of them are spiritually aware beings however they don't appear to have powers of some sort."

"This is rather impressive. How did you manage to gather this much information?" Giriko asked as he examined the data they gathered with Tsukishima looking at another paper with more data

"Well, those things that Ginjo has that alters memories did come in handy to cover our tracks and don't worry. We only asked regular humans." Riruka said with a thumbs up

"How did Ginjo get those things anyway?" Jackie wondered

"Ginjo was a substitute soul reaper. He kept some of those things around in case he needed them." Tsukishima answered her

"So, where is Ginjo anyway?" Riruka wondered

"He is not coming here for some time. You said that you saw members of the stealth force here a few weeks ago. Until we are sure there are no spies here, Ginjo will not come." Tsukishima explained

"Oh yeah I forgot about that." Riruka said

"Hey is this really necessary?" Jackie asked

"What do you mean by that?" Tsukishima inquired

"Well, I'm not really sure if this is all worth it. I mean, the soul society doesn't even know we exist. Why would we go through the trouble of getting Ichigo to our side when he doesn't even have his powers anymore?" Jackie voiced her question

"We owe Ginjo a debt. In this world, we were wronged simply because we had powers and were treated as outcasts but Ginjo gave us a comrade who can relate to and helped us find each other to form this organization." Tsukishima answered

"That still doesn't explain why we need Ichigo." Jackie persisted

"Just trust Ginjo alright. I've known him for quite a while and he wouldn't go through all this trouble if he had no way to restore Ichigo's powers. We'll need it to bolster our fullbring powers and fight the soul society. Since we are affiliated with Ginjo, the soul society would target us sooner or later." Tsukishima explained

"You had better be right about that." Jackie said

"So, what now?" Giriko asked

"For now, we will need a bigger base of operations." Tsukishima said. "Riruka, Yukio, I want you two to go out and find a bigger place we can stay at. Make sure that it isn't near Ichigo's school."

"Are you seriously ordering me to do back breaking work like that? As if gathering this data wasn't enough." Riruka grumbled

Yukio on the other hand, just put down his video game and headed for the door. "Let's get this over with."

Riruka watched as her eyes twitched in annoyance at both Tsukishima and Yukio. "Fine. Whatever." she said before she too went for the door

Unbeknownst to them, someone had been observing them from afar

Ichigo was in his classroom while this all went down and using his zombies, he was able to observe their little discussion. He really didn't bother to keep an eye on them while they find another base since he can just feel where they are. 'Against the soul society?'

"It would seem so. So these are the allies the first substitute soul reaper found."

'Think we should make them our ally? I'm thinking no.'

**"I don't trust them. They may know how to hide their spiritual pressure but they seem sloppy. At any rate, it's still too soon to tell."**

'Yeah that is true. So what exactly is a fullbring?'

"It must be what they call their powers."

'Yeah. Still, we have no idea what their powers are?'

"**Maybe you can force them to reveal it."**

**'**How?'

"**By finding a newborn hollow and taking control of it. Use it to attack them and force them to use their powers."**

**'**For real? I told you, I'm not gonna use it for something like that.'

"**Well what choice do you have? Using your zombies to reveal this might cause some issues."**

**'**What issues?'

"**The soul society. Right now, you don't want them to fight these guys as you still haven't mastered all of your shikai's powers. If you use your zombies to attack them they would be forced to reveal that they have powers and depending how big of a ruckus they make, they might attract unwanted attention, but if you use hollows, a very weak one at that, they would be able to dispatch it easily and the soul society would just label it as a random hollow attack."**

**'**If it gets dispatched easily then that effort wouldn't yield anything. Why not just use the zombies and I will just go easy on them?'

"Because this is not the soul society you are dealing with. With the soul society, you can just play them since they think you lost your powers and the potential interference of Kisuke. These people are a different matter. They have probably taken into account the possibility of Kisuke or your father getting in their way. Remember, you have no idea how many of them they are. Unless we know what their powers are, we cannot afford to just get rid of them. For all we know, they might have a lot of members in their organization. That is why it is best to use an ordinary hollow for scouting their powers otherwise they would know that someone other than the soul society is opposing them and knows of their existence."

"**And stop complaining that it is just wrong. Just killing a hollow or taking over its body would be showing it mercy."**

This made Ichigo nearly jump out of surprise at White's words. Thankfully, he managed to control himself as he was in class. 'And how exactly is that showing mercy?' he demanded

"**Because you are ending its suffering. I won't give you all the details but short version, hollows are in so much pain because of the desire to devour souls and are at all times, at risk of being devoured by other hollows. By killing them, you are relieving them from the pain of having to devour souls until they themselves get devoured or become menos."**

'Fine but you had better tell me what hollows are exactly.' Ichigo grumbled to which White nodded with a grin that really annoyed Ichigo. 'But I'll have to do it later at night. Finding newborn hollows is not gonna be easy.'

Hours later, Almost Midnight

Ichigo had been roaming the town for almost two hours now and he was so pissed off. 'Damn it. Any ideas?' as he flashed on top of a rooftop

"**You could create a hollow instead."**

**'**Do I look like Aizen to you?'

"**That's not what I mean you idiot. I mean turn one of the souls into a hollow like how that guy from the spirit show does it."**

'Are you serious?!'

"**I am. Besides, you are just gonna kill it immediately and they are stubbornly refusing to move on. You're actually doing them a favor if you turn them into hollows instead since you will force them to realize what their stubbornness is doing to them**."

"He is right Ichigo. Killing hollows when they are at their weakest is actually sparing them from a horrible fate. And getting them to reveal the fulbringer's powers would be to your advantage."

'What exactly do you mean?'

"Hollows would just attack souls at random. Usually they would only target souls because an average soul has more spirit energy than a living human. The only reason hollows would attack living humans is if they are somehow made aware said human has high amounts of spirit energy, in which case they extract the souls from the body and devour them. So if they are found by some hollows, it is entirely possible that they would have to step up their time table and force Kugo Ginjo out. In a sense, you are putting them on a timer because of the soul society, who might send more spies at any moment and the risk that someone notices that they used their powers."

**'**Why are you two so okay with me doing acts like this?'

"**When this spy thing is over, we will tell you that and trust me Ichigo. You need to do this for reasons other than hiding from Yhwach."**

This confused Ichigo a whole lot but decided to trust their word since they have proven that they always keep their word. He then decided to find a soul on the verge of becoming a hollow. When he finally found one, he turned it into a hollow

* * *

**Here is the next one. It took quite a while to write as I have been busy with something else**


	27. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Six - Next Moves**

As soon as Ichigo turned a soul into a hollow, he immediately had it move towards the place where the fullbringers have found a new base of operations. Instead of using his flames to hide the hollow, he instead decided to have it attack right out in the open

'This is a bad idea.'

"**Then have it hide in between dimensions."**

**'**What? How?'

"**When you take over a living creature, you can use its natural abilities at the cost of being unable to use your flames qualities. The opposite is also true. Using it to create zombies from reishi means they will only be basic foot soldiers that literally burn anything you want."**

**'**So I can make it look like a legitimate hollow?'

"Yes Ichigo. Hollows possess the natural to travel between worlds via the garganta and that includes a very low level hollow so you can have it hide in the garganta and appear where you want so as to hide until you are ready."

'Alright I got it.' Ichigo said before he realized something. 'Wait a minute, how do I do that?'

"**Anything you take over will do what you want for as long as it is within their abilities. Since it is a hollow, it learns how to travel between worlds instinctually. So all you have to do is tell it to hide between worlds and it will do so."**

**'**Let's try that.' Ichigo said before controlling the hollow for a bit and pretty soon, it opened a garganta on its own and hid there

"Ichigo, this is something you must know. Do not do it again and ensure they dispatch the hollow."

'Why is that?'

"Regular hollows do not open the garganta the same way the arrancars do. Technically they can do it the way the arrancars do, but it will cause a spike in spiritual pressure. The reason for this is simply because of the difference of powers. Arrancars subconsciously use their spiritual pressure to hide any gargantas they open. You are lucky this time that the hollow is now yours to control and your own power within that hollow hid the spiritual pressure otherwise it would have caused problems."

'Yeah well don't blame me. You guys didn't tell me what hollows are exactly, other than fallen souls.'

"**You're right. But there is no time to explain that now. When we have a good amount of time to spare, we'll use that."**

Ichigo simply nodded at this and after a few moments, had the hollow appear near their new base of operations, which was just a two story house, nothing fancy. The hollow appeared in the sky and dropped to the ground, creating slight tremors which alerted the fullbringers to its presence. To ensure that they knew, Ichigo had the hollow roar a few times before having it look around as the fullbringers then looked at their windows to find out what was going on. After a few minutes of looking around, it then moved towards the house where the fullbringers were staying in

"A hollow? For real?!" Riruka cried out

"Damn, just our luck. What time is it?" Tsukishima called out

Giriko immediately looked for his watch. "12:14"

"Good. Everyone should be asleep by now. Kill it." Tsukishima ordered. Immediately, Jackie and Giriko summoned their fullbring, Time Tells no Lies and Dirty Boots and moved in to attack while Yukio used his video game console to create some sort of barrier to hide the spiritual pressure

To their surprise, a hollow who seemed to be a very weak, was agile enough to dodge their attacks, albeit they were holding back to avoid collateral damage

"What? How can a hollow this weak be quick enough to dodge our attacks?" Jackie wondered

"I don't care how. Out of the way." Riruka yelled as she fired a heart shaped object at the hollow

Wanting to see what would happen, Ichigo had the hollow dodge the heart and had it grab a piece of wood that feel from a nearby tree, using it to block the heart. To his surprise, the branch he used actually shrank

Ichigo wasn't the only one surprised. The fullbringers were shocked that a hollow of this level even knows how to use objects in its surroundings to its advantage

"What in the hell?! How can a hollow like this know how to do something like that?" Riruka asked out loud as she and Tsukishima watched

Giriko and Jackie then continued their attack with Giriko tweaking his watch and sending numbers towards the hollow, creating explosions as a result while Jackie went for melee attacks against it. She landed a few blows but ultimately it wasn't enough to bring the hollow down

"Alright that's enough. We'll get spotted if this continues." Tsukishima said as he was getting the bookmark on his book and it transformed into a sword. He then opened the window and flashed in front of the hollow, splitting its head in two. "Yukio, you created a barrier in this area right?"

"Yeah. No spiritual pressure should have been released outside of the barrier during the fight." Yukio answered

"How large of an area did you cover?" Jackie asked

"Nearly the whole block." Yukio said and as proof, he dropped the barrier

"That's good." Tsukishima said as he observed the barrier being dropped. "Jackie, Giriko, prepare those memory alteration devices in the event anyone in this area noticed we had powers but don't use them if nobody actually noticed the commotion."

"Very well." Giriko said as he went back inside, followed by Jackie then by Tsukishima

Ichigo had been observing the whole commotion through the hollow he controlled. He was surprised at their powers. They truly were different from a soul reaper or a quincy but was somewhat similar to a hollow's. Neither Ichigo, White nor old man Zangetsu could figure it out at the moment

"**Now that was interesting wouldn't you say?"**

**"**Indeed it was however it still begs the question about how they have their powers."

'That's probably a question for another time and to be honest, I don't think it matters one way or the other how they got it.'

"You have a point Ichigo but if you get the chance, it would be rather useful as to how they have hollow like powers."

'Speaking of powers, do you think it was those objects that give them powers? I mean one of them was using a video game console to activate his powers, another with a bookmark, the girl with her boots and that old man using his watch.'

"That was perceptive of you Ichigo. But the answer to your question is no. The simple fact is, powers originate from deep within a being's soul and it never comes from an inanimate object."

"**True. Most likely is that those objects were the conduits or something along that line for their powers."**

**'**That should be enough for now.' Ichigo told them before heading back home

What everyone didn't know, including Ichigo, was that Bambietta had been observing the whole fight. She had decided to take a late night walk just to relax and stumbled upon spiritual barrier and inside she saw a bunch of people fighting a hollow. The thing that intrigued her the most is how there was a man in a nearby rooftop who's spiritual pressure is undetectable but like her, was observing the whole ruckus with the fullbringers. That person was none other than Ichigo who got sloppy and did not go invisible

'So, there is another person here that isn't revealing his presence?' Bambietta thought to herself. For some reason or another, she didn't think that the mystery person was a threat, yet. 'Is he the one who orchestrated the fight between those guys? Seems like things just got a lot more complicated and he doesn't appear to be affiliated with the soul society either. If that's the case, then is it possible that he knows about the stealth force members?' she wondered. Bambi had no evidence of this but she wasn't dumb either. She noticed that once the fullbringers went back inside their house, the mystery man left so she decided to make herself scarce and think this through

With Ichigo

"**Hey Ichigo. Seems like we have a little problem."**

'What is it?'

"**You didn't make yourself invisible after you turned that soul into a hollow."**

This nearly caused Ichigo to crash into his window as he was flashing back to his room. 'So you're saying someone might have seen me?'

"**Yes. In fact someone else was actually observing the whole situation, that hot girl Bambietta Basterbine."**

'And you didn't tell me why?' Ichigo demanded as he returned to his room

"**So that you wouldn't appear suspicious. If you noticed her and then disappeared, it would mean that you know about her and who she is. It is possible she might report that and the wandenreich might send a search party for you and force you to reveal yourself just to get rid of them."**

**'**What difference does that make? She would just report it straight away about someone laying low here.'

"That is not necessarily true Ichigo. Recall to when you first saw that girl. Bambietta is only here to keep an eye on you. That means if anything, the only thing she should report is if you are doing anything that would get the interest of the wandenreich. It is possible that instead of reporting about this, she would instead find a way to eliminate the fullbringers and the guy that she saw, which was you, without drawing attention. Planning for things like that takes time and that is your window."

'Window? Window of what?'

"**Just send one of your zombies to her house Ichigo to see what she would be planning. Don't kill her unless she is planning to report this."**

'You don't wanna kill her don't you? Why is that?'

White just grinned at the question. Truth be told, he was rather surprised that Ichigo picked up on that. It seems like Ichigo is finally learning to be perceptive. "**You're right about that. I don't want her killed, yet. The reason is that for that is quite simple actually, she is our only source of information about the wandenreich."**

'Don't you two know about the wandenreich?'

"We do not Ichigo. Our knowledge about the wandenreich is limited in a way. While we do know about how Yhwach operates and can anticipate his moves, we do not know about the details on each of the sternritters. That is why he told you not to kill Bambietta yet. She is our only source of those details."

'And how exactly am I supposed to get those details out of her?'

"**Like I said before Ichigo, she doesn't appear completely loyal to Yhwach at all. Maybe in one way or another, I can find a weakness about her and use that to get the details. Just keep an eye on her and leave finding that crack to me. If I can't find one in the next few weeks, kill her. If she tries to report about get rid of her."**

'What gives you the idea that she won't report this?'

"Because that is how Yhwach orders his troops. To focus only on their mission and if anyone proves to be a threat but unrelated to the current objective, then just destroy it. In her case, the objective is only to keep an eye on you alone without revealing herself. It would be a challenge for her to fight the fullbringers without drawing attention. In fact, it would be a challenge for the wandenreich as well."

"**Exactly. If Bambietta tries to report about you, kill her, it's that simple. But should she choose not do it, then just observe her. If anything, the only problem her seeing you has caused is that we might be pressed for time. Ichigo, every night if you are not doing anything, come here to your inner world. We'll have to learn everything you know starting from the basics."**

**'**You have got to be kidding me?'

"**Nope. The times you trained before, those were nothing but brute force and I let you succeed. Remember, Aizen is no longer controlling your life at this point so you cannot rely that you can just win because you have the will or because you are stubborn."**

Ichigo sulked at this. He doesn't want to admit it, but Aizen really did control his life for most of it. He always thought it was because of his hard work but that was only a part of it. 'I guess you're right.'

At Bambi's house

'Should I tell the wandenreich about this? Haschwalth would have my head if I screw this up. Then again, my mission is only to keep an eye on Ichigo.' Bambietta thought to herself as she lounged around on the bed. She wasn't sure how to approach the whole situation at all which wasn't surprising as her talents lie in blowing stuff up. Being as hot headed as she was, she was not a good candidate for a mission like this one. "Guess I have no choice. I'll just wait. The only mission given to me was to keep an eye on Ichigo anyway. As long as I do that I should be safe but I might need to find a way to get rid of them without drawing attention." she said to herself before finding some night clothes

Ichigo observed her with relief. He was actually worried for a bit about what Bambietta might do. He was actually starting to find it rather creepy at how both of his inner spirits are usually right, almost as if they can manipulate the person somehow. He did however, find it odd that Bambietta keeps speaking to herself

"**No Ichigo. We don't have that ability."** White said as he noticed Ichigo's expression

'How do you even know what I'm thinking about?'

"**Who do you think you're talking to? I've been aware about how you find it creepy that I seem to know what people would do next. Well, f****or starters, I'm not like you. You never plan ahead and consider what might happen and I do. And also, people are like books. Some are closed and some are open. I know how to read people and plan my moves accordingly."**

**'**How does that even work?'

"**It only works when you're dispassionate. These type of things is not suited for you since you always let your emotions dictate your actions."**

**'**Yeah you're right about that.' Ichigo said, realizing the truth in his hollow's words while knowing that he will never be able to read people the way he does. 'Hey tell me something, why does Bambietta always announces her next move like that?'

"**What do you mean?"**

'I mean why would she say out loud on what she is planning to do next? i don't understand that at all.'

"Do not judge people like that Ichigo. Not everyone is like Kisuke who is always quiet yet planning his next move but keeping it to himself. You must also factor in that she thinks she is alone. When you are alone like that, it gives you a sense of freedom to say things out loud without worrying about any consequences."

'Well, that is true, I guess.'

"There is also the possibility that she is not the type of person for a job like this or to be more precise, for a spying mission**."**

**'**What makes you say that?'

**"It's in the nature of spies to be quiet. Even though she thinks she is alone, a real spy would keep things like that to him or herself. Remember, spying is about gathering information without anyone noticing you. The slightest mistake and there will be hell to pay for the spy. That alone makes me think that being subtle isn't Bambietta's style or nature at all."**

**'**And let me guess, you're gonna use that to manipulate here into giving up the details of the wandenreich aren't you?'

White just grinned when Ichigo was said that. "**Seems like someone is starting to know me all too well. Don't worry too much about it. I'll teach you how to do stuff like this one day."**

'Oh hell no. I'm not gonna manipulate people to my own ends. Unlike you I actually have some morals.' Ichigo protested to which White just groaned while Zangetsu gave a rather curious expression. Their little discussion was interrupted when they noticed a discussion happening at the fullbringer house through a zombie that Ichigo had left there when he made himself scarce after his attack

At the fullbringer's house

Everyone was having some drinks while Tsukishima was on the phone. After a while, Tsukishima finally joined them

"So what did Ginjo say, Tsukishima?" Giriko asked while handing everyone some wine

"We're stepping up our timetable. If a hollow like that is able to find us then it is entirely possible that we will be found out. We'll have to find a way to befriend Ichigo's friends so he can present a weakness we can take advantage of." Tsukishima said as he began to get some wine himself

"What about Ichigo himself?" Jackie asked

"Leave that to Ginjo. For now, we'll need to find a way to give Ichigo some motivation to regain his powers, then we offer him a way to regain it." Tsukishima said

"That doesn't even make sense. We are fullbringers not soul reapers. How can we even offer something we cannot do?" Riruka questioned

"It is true we cannot restore Ichigo's soul reaper powers, but we might be able to have him become a fullbringer like us. Besides our main goal isn't to help Ichigo. If he joins us against the soul society then we help him, if not then we awaken his fullbring and steal it from him. It is that simple." Tsukishima said

"That is rather cruel though." Jackie said

"Well, the soul society is hunting Ginjo and we are affilliated with him. Like it or not, we will be in the soul society's crosshairs one way or another." Yukio said, for once not playing his video game

"I guess you have a point." Riruka said, finally agreeing with Yukio on something

"So what do we do know?" Jackie wondered

"I'll find some souls and turn them into hollows. Once I've done that I will have it attack Ichigo's friends." Tsukishima said

"I think this one presents a problem. Souls who have just turned into hollows don't stand a chance against Ichigo's friends and the quincy can probably eliminate them all very quickly." Jackie said

"Well in that case, I'll attack the quincy first and incapacitate him before having the hollows attack the rest." Tsukishima said with a thoughtful expression

"What would be the point in that, Tsukishima?" Giriko questioned

"It is simple, once Ichigo realizes his friends are being targeted by someone and he is powerless to stop it, he is gonna want his power back and that is our window of opportunity. Our original plan of giving and stripping Ichigo of his powers will then be put into motion once Ichigo wants them back." Tsukishima explained

"Oh I see. That is rather genius actually." Giriko said

"Alright, Jackie, Riruka, Yukio." Tsukishima said, grabbing their attention. "Tomorrow I want you to gather as much details as you can on Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue. They're the easiest to deal with. Giriko, tomorrow you're with me. We need to find souls on the verge of becoming hollows and mark their locations."

All of them gave their affirmatives at this before heading back to their own rooms to rest for the night. What they didn't know however is that the trick they are planning to pull on Ichigo is the very same one he did to them just a few hours ago

At Ichigo's room

'Attack them huh? Yeah like I'm gonna let that happen.' Ichigo said as he observed their discussion

"**Play along with their plan Ichigo."**

**'**What? Why? You want me to just let my friends be attacked?'

"He is right Ichigo. They do not appear to have any plans to kill your friends, for now anyway. Their plan is also far too flawed. It would be very suspicious for your friends to be attacked and them offering you their aid."

'You're right. If anything, I would probably just blame them if my friends attacked and they showed up.'

"**Well, they are making plans when they are half asleep. I'm not surprised it is very sloppy."**

**"**Indeed. Ichigo, I think you should be ready on what to do. As we said, their plan is greatly flawed and can backfire easily so they might just change that before actually putting it into motion. When that happens, i believe they would offer you their aid first before attacking your friends."

'I was just thinking about that myself. I guess I really have no choice but to play along otherwise I might lose this chance to meet Ginjo.'

"**Why do you wanna meet him?"**

'You did say that they would not kill my friends. Considering that is true, I wanna know what the soul society actually did to Ginjo. All we know about him is nothing but based on assumptions."

**"**That is true and a rather nice idea Ichigo. However for now, get some rest. It's just a few hours before you need to get ready for school."

'Alright.' Ichigo nodded before going to sleep. One thing he knew though, the next few days is gonna be rather harsh for him and his friends

* * *

**Finally finished this one. It's been a rather busy week because we had birthdays in the house. Anyway, hope you enjoy that one**


	28. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Seven - Plan in Motion**

-Soul Society, Three Days Later-

After receiving no report from the stealth force members sent to the world of the living a few weeks ago, the captains were summoned for a meeting after receiving a report that the department of research and development found something

"This captain's meeting is now called to order." Yamamoto bellowed as all of the captains went to their face. Surprisingly, Zaraki joined the meeting

"First issue for discussion, Captain Kyoraku, what news do you have from the Shinji Hirako?" Yamamoto asked

"I went there personally with Nanao about a couple weeks ago. They were not particularly thrilled about the positions but Shinji did say that they will have to think about it. According to what Shinji said, they will have to discuss it first and it might take a while." Kyoraku said

"I'm not surprised. We did exile them without even trying to know what happened." Unohana said with a hint of sadness

"Indeed. They must have a lot to settle and to think about before giving their answer." Ukitake said

"Head captain, what if they don't accept their offer?" Komamura asked

"Then we let them do what they want." Kyoraku answered for his mentor. "For as long as they don't cause any trouble, we shouldn't have any problem with them. Personally, I'm not sure they would be willing to accept our offer given how they were treated. One can only hope for the best."

"Very well then. I'll leave the matter to you." Yamamoto said to Kyoraku which he gave an affirmative. "Now then, the main issue we have to discuss. Captain Soifon, has there still been no report from the stealth force we sent to the world of the living?"

"Negative head captain. We have not seen or heard from them since they left. There has also been no sign of the senkaimon opening since they left and that was three weeks ago." Soifon gave her answer, causing the eyes of all the captains to widen in shock with the exception of Zaraki, who couldn't care less about the whole situation

"Three weeks? Could something have happened to them?" Toshiro asked with great concern

"That was unknown so I went to the department of research and development to see what they have found." Soifon said before motioning to Mayuri to give his findings

"Yes I have found something very interesting. After sending some surveillance equipment to the world of the living, I have found three members of the stealth force. All of them were dead and from the looks of it, they have been killed by someone although I cannot be certain by who or what. All that is certain is that they have been dead for at least one week." Mayuri gave his report to the others which once again, caused their eyes to widen

"They have been killed?" Komamura asked as he tried to process what he heard

"Indeed they have. One thing I did find really odd is there was no trace of spiritual pressure from where they were killed and whoever did the deed did not bother to hide the bodies. They were just left for the whole world to see." Mayuri added

"Could it be our target, Kugo Ginjo?" Byakuya wondered out loud

"Impossible to tell. As I mentioned, no spiritual pressure was in the area where the bodies were found. We have not yet retrieved them yet so there may still be a chance. One thing that I noticed was whoever killed them used a sword but that might change as that was just from observation." Mayuri answered him before giving some more of his thoughts. "It is also entirely possible that the stealth force members have been killed the moment they arrived."

"But you said they were killed one week ago?" Toshiro questioned

"I did not say that. All I said was that it was the minimum amount of time they have been dead so it is possible they have been dead for quite a while." Mayuri clarified

"If considering that what you are saying is true, how could anyone have known we were sending spies there?" Komamura asked

"Unless there is a traitor here who revealed our plans." Soifon sternly said which widened everyone's eyes

"That is enough." Yamamoto said before a fight could break out among the captains. "We will only consider that as a possibility but nothing guaranteed. Captain Soifon, I want you to investigate the matter. Unless we can perform an autopsy, we will never know what killed them." he ordered to Soifon

"What about Kisuke Urahara?" Unohana asked

"Inform Kisuke Urahara about our operations but do not mention anything that relates to our plans about Ichigo Kurosaki. Tell him only that we were searching for Kugo Ginjo." Yamamoto answered her. "Captain Kurotsuchi, you are to investigate the cause of death once the bodies have been retrieved."

"All captains, be on high alert. It may be possible we have an unknown enemy. An enemy that isn't Kugo Ginjo." Yamamoto bellowed

"Yes sir." the captains replied with the exception of Zaraki, who hasn't been paying attention at all

"Dismissed."Yamamoto bellowed once more and the captains left soon after

"That was a waste of time." Zaraki muttered as he left

-Karakura Town-

The last three days were not so simple for Ichigo. Every night, White has been grinding down Ichigo with very brutal training that should have left Ichigo unable to move but since he was taught high speed regeneration before they began, he managed to recover almost immediately

Since it was a weekend, Ichigo decided to go for a walk. Earlier during the day, he did feel like something was off, as if someone new was here but could not completely place it. His answer soon came when he saw a man standing in the corner of a road holding a bag. Suddenly, a thug snatched the man's bag away

"Hey! Someone stop that guy!" the man yelled and chased after the thug

Luckily for him, the thug was headed right towards Ichigo who quickly kicked the thug in the abdomen, knocking him down. "I believe this isn't yours." Ichigo said as he took the bag from the thug

"It isn't yours either pal. You asking for a beating?" the thug said as he got up and tried to punch Ichigo, who kicked him in the face and knocking him to a wall. Ichigo then kicked him again in the abdomen, knocking him out cold just as the bag's owner finally arrived

"This yours right?" Ichigo asked the man who approached him

"Yes. Thank you very much." the man said with a grateful bow

"It was no problem. Be careful alright." Ichigo said as he walked away

"I will. Thank you again." the man said. 'So, we finally meet, Ichigo Kurosaki.' Ginjo thought to himself as he observed Ichigo walked away. 'Now, Tsukishima should take care of the rest and we can get this going.'

Ichigo was no slouch either. He felt something odd since earlier and finally found out why. It was because of the man he just helped. 'Is that him? The first substitute soul reaper?'

"It appears so. His spirit energy is similar to yours as well as the fullbringers. No doubt about it. He is Kugo Ginjo."

'That was fast. I didn't think they would make their move so soon.'

In another part of Karakura Town, a few minutes later

Uryu was dispatching some hollows that appeared in the town. Since Ichigo lost his powers, or so he and everyone else thought, he took it upon himself to deal with the hollows since the previous soul reaper, Kurumadani, was a complete idiot and the soul society has not sent anyone to the town, figuring that Ichigo's friends and Kisuke had it covered

As Uryu was finishing off some hollows, he saw a man just floating in air while reading a book and after about a couple minutes, it used a high speed movement technique that wasn't hirenkyaku, sonido or flash steps. Filled with questions, Uryu used hirenkyaku and chased after the man who seemed to be unaware he was being followed. Suddenly, Uryu was attacked by someone as he was so pre occupied with chasing the unknown man. Uryu dropped to an alley, with a cut in his upper body from the chest to his left shoulder

"Good work Tsukishima." Ginjo said as Tsukishima walked up to him

"Indeed. That worked perfectly." Tsukishima said. "What now?"

"Leave him. When I attacked him I released a bit of spiritual pressure, not much but enough to alert his friends. They should find him in a few minutes. Let's go." Ginjo said before walking away

"Alright." Tsukishima said as he made sure Uryu was unconscious before following Ginjo

Ichigo noticed this from afar but since he was out in public, he was unable to go even if it was just to observe and he was beating himself up for it

"**Don't worry too much. Uryu will live. He's not gonna die for quite a while and unless you're friends are morons, they should be able to get him to safety."**

**'**I hope you're right. I'm gonna go towards the area and walk around it just in case.'

"That is alright Ichigo. Just be sure to time it right so that it would appear that you did not know about it."

At Bambietta's house

Bambietta was just enjoying the weekend in her house while listening to random music she found in the world of the living. Music was something new to her since in silbern, there was no such thing. By the time Uryu was attacked, she felt the spike in spiritual pressure. She did not know who it was but she did feel a second spiritual pressure, one that she knew. It was Uryu's and she felt it drop very quickly and realized Uryu had been attacked

'Have those weirdos attacked Uryu?' Bambietta wondered as she tried to guess what exactly happened. 'What now? Should I help him? No, the spiritual pressure spike was high enough for Orihime to sense it and she appears to be heading in his direction. If there is anything in this, it must concern Ichigo in one way or another. I'll have to keep an eye on him more than I usually do.' she pondered what to do now. Without a way to know where Ichigo was, she opted instead to just wait and see what happens. Since she was Ichigo's classmate in school, she can always just ask around for information about what happened to Uryu

With Ichigo

Ichigo was slowly walking towards where Uryu was attacked which was quite a good distance away. He tried to sense where every spiritually aware being was. He found Uryu where he was attacked with Orihime and Chad heading towards the location, Kisuke and Yoruichi still in the Urahara shop, either unaware or chose not to investigate this, Bambietta still in her house and the rest of his friends off somewhere else. The fullbringers on the other hand, were scattered across town, presumably to do what Tsukishima told them while Ginjo and Tsukishima himself were now in the fullbringer house

As he was walking towards the place, he felt his phone ring, someone was calling him. "Hello?" he asked as he answered

"Ichigo, it's Orihime. Uryu has been attacked. Me and Chad are heading to where he is right now. Can you meet us at the hospital?" Orihime asked

"What?!" Ichigo pretended to be surprised. "Yeah sure. I'm not that far from it." Ichigo replied and hung up the phone. Ichigo for sure though, was now starting to hate himself as well as what he is forced to do

He soon arrived at the hospital and asked to where Uryu was. When he found the room, he saw Uryu unconscious with Chad and Orihime watching over him. "How is he?"

"He's stable. I have healed his body but he still remains unconscious." Orihime answered

"What happened?" Ichigo replied with a scowl

"We don't know. We just felt a spike of spiritual pressure with Uryu nearby. When it died down we felt Uryu's spiritual pressure being very weak. We rushed to the location and found Uryu wounded." Orihime answered

Ichigo's scowl deepened when he heard this especially when he knows who did this and where they are. He left the room, seething for rage. One thing was for sure though, he was gonna rip the fullbringers a new one for this

"**Don't do it Ichigo."**

**'**You want me to just let them get away with this?'

"**Of course not. But just wait a bit. The girl said four eyes was stable and that should be good enough. For now just wait a bit and see what happens. You already know where they are so they are at your mercy. Don't just recklessly kill them now."**

**'**Any reasons why I shouldn't?

"**Because of Bambietta. If she had really been observing that night she would have noticed a bunch of people fighting a hollow. When Uryu was attacked it caused a spike in spiritual pressure, not strong enough to alert anyone but still decent to where people like your friends can notice. By now, she should be aware that Uryu was attacked. Don't take the chance that you might slip up if you lost control over your body while attacking the fullbringers."**

**'**So now my options are limited? I should have just killed them when I had the chance.'

"Do not be too hasty in making a decision Ichigo. While it may be true that you could have stopped Uryu from being attacked, it still does not change the fact that we still do not know how many of them there are. Take solace in the fact that Uryu will live and will regain consciousness sometime soon. For now, you have another problem. Since you have made contact with Ginjo, it may be wise to be wary of Kisuke. He should have noticed what happened to Uryu and given your relationship with him, he might keep an eye on you in case the target you next."

Ichigo was again about to object to his inner spirits' suggestion before he felt a senkaimon open and it was at the place where he attacked the stealth force members. He felt two people enter the town and then promptly left. He assumed that they simply retrieved the bodies of the ones he attacked. 'Hey Zangetsu'

"What is it?"

'I never gave this much thought but I've been wondering. How come a senkaimon opening can be sensed while a garganta can't?'

"Because opening a garganta is a natural ability for hollows while opening a senkaimon is something a soul reaper has to learn and master in order to be able to do it. The other reason is also the method in which they are opened. Opening a senkaimon and garganta can be compared to opening a locked and unlocked door. When opening a garganta, you are just ripping apart the the place you want it to appear similar to how you open an unlocked door, you just push it with almost zero effort while opening a locked door, you put in a small amount of effort to put in the key and open it."

'So that means that the effort represents spirit energy?'

"Yes. Just like how opening a locked door requires a very small amount of effort, so too does opening a senkaimon as it uses a bit of spirit energy while the garganta does not. You must also take into account that unlike most spiritually aware beings, you are not looking for spiritual pressure alone but are using your pesquisa to sense both spiritual pressure and spirit energy as well as to tell if a being has spirit energy or not."

"**Also, the garganta is the only place without spiritual pressure, other than the ones belonging to whoever is inside it. It is a place that is nothing but reishi. That's why you can never tell if it's opened or not until you see it for yourself**."

'Oh I see. Now that you mention, I forgot that I am also sensing for spirit energy. Crap now I have to learn how to keep it on.'

"**Don't worry too much. We'll tell you when something comes up when your pesquisa is not active."**

**'**Alright thanks.'

At the fullbringer house

Ginjo and Tsukishima arrived at the house. Inside, they found that nobody has returned yet.

"Tsukishima, what have you had the others do?" Ginjo asked as he just arrived in town today

"I had them gather more intel than what we have. Giriko is finding some hollows like you said." Tsukishima answered

"I see." Ginjo said

"So what now?" Tsukishima asked

"Now we wait. When Ichigo is with his friends, we have a hollow attack them with his friends defending him. With his personality, he shouldn't be able to stand it when his friends are helping him while he cannot do anything. Just as a backup plan, you approach one of his friends and have him join us so we have some sort of leverage against him." Ginjo said

"Alright then. But that will have to wait until we have more infomation." Tsukishima responded

"That's fine." Ginjo simply replied. "And have Shishigawara come here too, just in case."

A little past midnight

A senkaimon opened on the roof of one of the buildings in Karakura town and inside were five stealth force members. The soul society has decided to dispatch spies during the night in hopes that whoever previously attacked them is asleep

"What are we to do here?" one of the members asked

"For now, we wait until daybreak. Find a place to hide in during the night and when day arrives, search the town for anyone suspicious. If you want, you can also do a search now but I doubt it would yield much results." the first guy replied

"Yes sir." the other four said in unison before scattering to different parts of town

At Ichigo's room

Ichigo was sleeping at his room. During the whole night, he was rather restless because of what happened to Uryu before he finally managed to go to sleep

White on the other hand, noticed that soul reapers had just entered the town. "**Hey Ichigo. Wake up."** he called out

Ichigo groaned as his slumber was interrupted and he was not happy about it. "What is it?" he asked as he awoke in his inner world

"**Soul reapers are here, again. They just arrived."**

**"**What?" Ichigo asked in surprise before focusing on finding them. He felt that they scattered themselves around town. "Why the hell are they here at this hour anyway?" he grumbled as he didn't want to deal with them right now

"**Just leave them be Ichigo but keep an eye on them."** White said as Ichigo was preparing to leave his body

"What? Why?"

"**Because this may be our chance to get rid of the fullbringers."**

**"**How?"

"**For one thing, Bambietta is severely limiting our options since you haven't perfected how to control your zombies yet. If she has half a brain, she would have figured that if any spiritual being was here then it would concern you one way or another. Remember when I told you that you might have to attack them personally? This might be our chance to both throw off any suspicion as well as get rid of the fullbringers for good."**

**"**You still haven't answered my question."

"**i was getting there. Considering that they want to make you feel helpless by having hollows attack your friends, let them and use that chance to take control of the hollow. If they seriously want to recruit you, they are gonna approach you sometime soon. With the stealth force present, have the hollow attack you when you are with them to force them to reveal their powers. The soul society will then deal with it. Once they are busy with Ginjo, you get rid of them for good."**

**"**I don't like this one bit."

"He is right Ichigo. It might not be something you like but this is a good opportunity. Since the soul reapers are only targeting Ginjo, they will not expect another combatant during their operation. This will rid you of both the spies and the fullbringers at once. The soul society on the other hand, would probably just keep on sending spies should you attack them while they are moving in on the fullbringers. At that point, it would no longer be an issue for you since you only have to worry about Bambietta and just like you, she is laying low."

"What happened to not knowing how many of them are there?"

"**Change of plans. We get rid of them now and if there are more of them, kill them the moment they step into town. You don't want to have your friends attacked do you?"**

"No, I don't." Ichigo said with a rather deep frown. He wanted to just downright burn the fullbringers to ashes for what they did but he knew he couldn't. The soul society's betrayal of him was already annoying enough but Yhwach's return is severely forcing him to prioritize it. He was aware that he was growing different from the person he was when he fought for the soul society's cause and for some reason, both of his inner spirits are just letting him do it. "Alright. As long as none of my friends get attacked, I'll do what you have planned." he said after realizing that he did not care who he was as long as his friends weren't harmed. Ichigo then had some of the zombies he scattered across town to relocate to where the stealth force members were and kept a very close eye on them

"**Good. Now go back to sleep. I just woke you up to make you aware of this. If anything happens, I'll wake you up again."**

**"**Thanks." Ichigo said before going back to sleep with a lot on his mind

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**Finally did this one since I haven't been that busy anymore. Enjoy**


	29. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

**Note: I decided to change a bit of the dialogue because whenever I upload, the underlined words don't remain underlined and I have to find them just to correct it. So until otherwise specified the dialogues are as follow:**

"Good Game" - regular speech

'Good game' - Ichigo in his body talking with his inner spirits

"**Good Game" - Ichigo's inner hollow**

"_Good Game" - _Old man Zangetsu

**The above four are just concerning Ichigo. For other characters, it would be:**

'Good Game' - thinking. This will also apply to other characters depending on the current dialogue

"Good Game" - regular speech

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**Chapter Twenty Eight - The Proposal**

The next day

When day finally broke out, the stealth force members immediately went around the town to do do their orders. Since it was still early in the morning, they didn't really find much. To their relief, nobody has attacked them and thought they were in the clear so they decided to cover more ground. Like the ones before them, they were unaware that someone has been keeping an eye on them and knew about their presence

Lunch time

Ichigo, Chad, Tatsuki, Keigo and Orihime were visiting Uryu at the hospital. As they expected, he still hasn't regained consciousness. What they were surprised about though was the fact that it was Uryu's father who was tending to him this time

"Mr Ishida?" Orihime asked when she realized who the doctor was

"Hmm?" Ryuken said and turned around. "Oh it's you guys."

"How is he?" Tatsuki asked

"Still the same. He's stable but still unconscious." Ryuken answered him. Ichigo scowled at this which did not go unnoticed by Ryuken. "Do not be too hard on yourself Ichigo. This was not your fault. Uryu told me what happened. You sacrificed your powers to save us all. Do not blame yourself as you were faced with an impossible choice."

"He is right Ichigo. You saved all of our lives." Keigo said jovially which just annoyed Ichigo

What everyone didn't know is that Ichigo scowled for a completely different reason. It was because he knew who in the hell did this

"There is something else you should know." Ryuken said which grabbed everyone's attention. "The wound inflicted upon Uryu also affected his spirit energy."

"So you're saying he lost his powers again?" Ichigo asked with great concern

"No I did not say that." Ryuken answered him

"Thank goodness." Orihime said with relief

"However, when he does regain consciousness, he might not be able to use his powers for quite a while. Whoever did this was a spiritually aware being." Ryuken said which alarmed everyone

"Is the soul society aware about this?" Tatsuki asked, surprised

"I doubt it. Now go. Let the guy rest for a while. I'll keep you updated on what happens to him." Ryuken said and with great reluctance, everyone left

As Ichigo and his friends were leaving the hospital, Ginjo and Tsukishima watched from a nearby rooftop. Ichigo pretended he didn't know about them but he was well aware they were spying on him and his friends

"Should we approach Ichigo now Ginjo?" Tsukishima asked

"Not yet. It's a bit too soon. We need him to be somewhat comfortable with us first." Ginjo replied. "So which among them should we recruit?"

"I say Yasutora Sado. His powers are rather similar to ours it just manifests in his arms instead of objects." Tsukishima explained

"Interesting. You go recruit him later today when he is alone and make sure nobody sees you." Ginjo instructed him

"Me? Shouldn't you do it?" Tsukishima asked in confusion. "I thought the plan was for me to alter your memories of me until Ichigo mastered his fullbring?"

"That was the original plan but the stealth force is forcing our hand." Ginjo said

"Why?" Tsukishima asked

"So that we have leverage over them. The soul society is showing their ungratefulness yet saved their lives yet they are just letting him live like a normal human. Humans who possess spiritual powers can never be normal. If Ichigo was with us, it would sow confusion within the soul society as Ichigo would defend us should they attack, putting them in a bit of a situation." Ginjo explained

"So our goal now is only to recruit Ichigo?" Tsukishima once again asked

"Yes. For now, all we have to do is get Ichigo on our side. In order to do that we will need one of his friends to trust us. Since you said that Yasutora Sado was like us right? He should be the easiest one to recruit. Just be ready to recruit Orihime Inoue as well in case we need it." Ginjo ordered

"What makes you so sure that the soul society won't outright kill us? I mean they willingly betrayed you right?" Tsukishima wondered

"That is true but Ichigo did more for them than I did. If rumors were to start that the soul society were trying to kill their savior then it could compromise their morale. While it will not outright stop them, it will buy us time for our next move. Besides, I'm sure that by now Ichigo has made some good friends with them. If they are ordered to kill us, they would realize we have Ichigo on our side and would probably hesitate. As long as we have Ichigo thinking that we are genuine, he won't turn his back on us. In a sense, we would be pitting Ichigo against the soul society." Ginjo once more explained

"But why don't we wait for a while before making our move?" Tsukishima asked once again

"Because the soul society is already here. We can't keep hiding forever. The sooner we have Ichigo on our side the better." Ginjo explained again

"I understand." Tsukishima said and finally understood the plan

With Ichigo and friends

As Ichigo and his friends were walking down the street, a hollow suddenly appeared and alerted Chad and Orihime

"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked as he noticed the looks on all of his friends. Obviously he was pretending that he did not know about it

"It's a hollow." Chad simply replied

"What? Where?" Ichigo replied in surprise

The hollow then suddenly came near them and noticed the group, immediately attacking them. With Chad and Orihime among them, the hollow was dispatched easily by a single punch from Chad

"Whoa that was awesome Chad." Keigo cheered as they watched the hollow dissipate to which Tatsuki just kicked him to the ground. "What was that for Tatsuki?"

"You should be more careful about what you say." Tatsuki replied and gave a nod towards Ichigo, who everyone only then noticed was scowling

"I am sorry about that Ichigo. I truly am I hope you forgive me. Sorry sorry sorry so..." Keigo repeatedly said while comically crying before he was interrupted

"Shut up." both Tatsuki and Ichigo said in unison as they kicked Keigo in the face

"Please don't get mad at me for real Tatsuki, Ichigo." Keigo said as he noticed the both of them were now annoyed

"Whatever. I'm going home." Ichigo said before leaving

"Ichigo wait." Tatsuki said but Ichigo just ignored her. "Nice going dumbass." she said as she bonked Keigo over the head when Ichigo was out of hearing range

"Ichigo is taking losing his power really hard huh?" Keigo said while nursing his head

"Well of course he is you idiot. Ever since his mom died, all he wanted was to protect people and his powers allowed him to do that. What do you think he's feeling now that he's lost it?" Tatsuki berated him

"Now now Tatsuki. No need to get mad." Orihime tried to calm her best friend down

"Yeah I guess you're right Tatsuki." Keigo said in defeat as he realized his mistake. "Hey guys. I have to go. My sister is gonna kill me if I come home late since I told her I won't that take long." he said and promptly left

"I'll be going as well." Chad said and left himself

"That reminds me Tatsuki, did you confront Ichigo after I told you what happened when I was kidnapped? You just left the house when I told you that." Orihime curiously asked with a hint of worry

"I wanted to but I didn't. You said Ichigo was nearly killed by this Ulquiorra guy and was possessed. I can't even be mad at him since it wasn't his fault at all." Tatsuki replied. "Why did you think to ask that now?"

"Nothing really. I was just thought of Ichigo's helplessness just now. It was the same to what I felt when Ulquiorra nearly killed him." Orihime answered with a rather sad voice

"Well don't worry about that since it's all over. Now come on. Let's go get some ice cream." Tatsuki said trying to comfort her friend

With Ichigo

'So, they are making their moves already huh?' Ichigo said to himself as he was walking home

"_It appears so. It would be a good idea to get this over with as soon as possible_."

'Why?'

"_So we can train you. For now, you only know one of your techniques and you have not perfected it yet_.'

'You're right about that. I wanna get this over with as well.'

Ichigo finally arrived home and he was fully aware that he was being spied upon. He cursed his luck that his friends were there and he couldn't spy on them as well as he might lose focus because he was pissed off. 'God how I wanna shove my swords up those bastards' asses.'

"_Just be patient Ichigo. The time for that will come soon enough_."

'I guess you're right. So I play along with them right?'

"**Yeah. When they are finally recruiting you, have a bunch of hollows attack the area to force them to use their powers."**

'The very same trick that they are planning to do anytime now.'

"_Indeed_."

Later that evening

Chad was walking back to his house after buying something when a man approached him

"Excuse me. Are you by any chance Yasutora Sado?" the man asked

"Uhh yes that's me. Who are you?" Chad responded

"My name is Shukuro Tsukishima. I would like to have a word with you if you are not busy." Tsukishima politely said

"Come in to my house." Chad said and entered a nearby house

'This guy isn't much of a talker.' Tsukishima thought to himself as he followed Chad inside. Inside, Chad offered him a seat and they talked

"What did you want to talk about?" Chad curiously asked

Instead of giving his answer directly, Tsukishima instead took out a book from his pocket. He then took out an inserted bookmark and it turned into a sword, which put Chad on alert but to his surprise, Tsukishima immediately had it return to a bookmark. "That is my power. You and I are alike Chad and I have friends that are like us."

"Us?" Chad asked

"Yes. I am part of a group called Xcution." Tsukishima answered him

"Why do you say our powers are alike?" Chad asked

"For us, we call our powers as 'fullbring' and it is similar to yours except instead of manifesting in our arms, ours manifests on objects of our choosing. The origin of our powers is basically because of us having hollow spirit energy when we were born." Tsukishima answered

"But I never had any spirit energy when I was born. My powers manifested during an incident that happened here a few months ago." Chad pointed out

"Ah yes when a quincy used a bait to draw out hollows. It sometimes work like that. This just makes us more similar as our powers only manifested when we were in danger or in stressful situations." Tsukishima explained. 'He's as naive as I thought. Just tells me with that kind of information even though I am a stranger to him.' he thought to himself

"Did you only come here to talk about our powers?" Chad asked in a curious tone

"Not at all. I come here with a proposition for you." Tsukishima answered

"A proposition?" Chad asked

"Yes. We have been under the impression that you know a substitute soul reaper. Is that true?" Tsukishima asked

"I have. He is my classmate, Ichigo Kurosaki, but he lost his powers." Chad answered

"I see. That is unfortunate. Now onto my proposition. I was wondering if you could ask Ichigo Kurosaki to help us with something." Tsukishima said

"Help you? With what?" Chad asked

"With us losing our powers. You see, substitute soul reapers are essentially the opposites of us fullbringers." Tsukishima explained. "For all of our lives, we have been shunned by society simply because we had powers. We have been called monsters among other things and been cast out."

"I'm sorry but what has this got to do with substitute soul reapers?" Chad said

"Fullbringers and substitute soul reapers can trade their powers due to their opposite nature. We found a substitute soul reaper before but for one reason or another, he lost his powers in an accident and disappeared. Since then we have been looking for another substitute soul reaper in order for us to lose our powers so we can finally live normal lives. This is where my proposition comes in. I would like your assistance with convincing Ichigo Kurosaki to help us. From what we know about him, he appears to want to protect people. This would be an experiment for us. If Ichigo manages to acquire a fullbring, we might be able to use it to restore his soul reaper powers. If it fails, Ichigo would have a fullbring while we won't be able to lose our powers. When you think about it, the only one who has anything to lose here would be us and not you nor Ichigo." Tsukishima explained

"If you want Ichigo's help, shouldn't you approach him rather than me?" Chad asked with uncertainty

"We are going to ask for his help but we noticed he had a friend with similar powers to us so we thought having you with us would be better for him. To make him comfortable with us. A contact of mine would go to Ichigo soon but I just took this chance to speak to you since I was free." Tsukishima explained

"I understand but I'll have to think about this first." Chad said simply

"That's fine." Tsukishima said before reaching into his pocket and grabbing a card and handing it over to Chad. "This is my contains our address as well as my contact information. Just contact me for a meeting once you have your answer."

"Alright." Chad simply replied

"Thank you for your time Yasutora Sado." Tsukishima said gratefully to which Chad just grunted. "I'll see myself out."

Chad just stared at the door, pondering about the proposal. On one hand, he was not sure if he should trust this Tsukishima but on the other hand, he saw several times that Ichigo is taking it really hard. The proposal did sound to good to be true and Chad knew it but this was not gonna be an easy decision to make. At any rate, the best option was simply to inform Ichigo about it

At the fullbringer house

Tsukishima just came in through the door and found only Ginjo in the living room. "Where is everybody?"

"They're at their rooms. For some reason, they wanted to rest for the night. I really don't know why though." Ginjo answered him

"I see." Tsukishima said. "I just spoke with Yasutora Sado."

"What did you say?" Ginjo asked

"What you instructed. I said to him that we wanted to lose our powers as well as that we were hoping that if we help Ichigo regain his, he would help us lose ours. When I mentioned that it went like clockwork. He was more interested in the part about Ichigo getting his powers back instead of asking too many questions about us." Tsukishima answered

"Seems like Ichigo's friends are a lot like him. They like to think with their feelings instead of their brains." Ginjo commented with a smirk

"But this still presents a problem. What about Kisuke Urahara or Ichigo's father?" Tsukishima asked with great concern

"I've been thinking about that myself. The truth of it is there is no real way to deal with them, especially Kisuke Urahara. I've heard rumors about that guy if if those were to be believed, he is completely unpredictable. If it comes to the worst, you might have to use your powers on Ichigo when he is not looking and make him believe we have been allies for all his life." Ginjo said with a scowl

"So that means our only goal is to hope that Ichigo gets his powers soon?" Tsukishima asked

"Indeed. Honestly, I am not confident I would be able to outthink Kisuke Urahara. I even heard that he is even smarter and more cunning than the captain who betrayed the soul society, Sosuke Aizen." Ginjo said with a bit of uncertainty in his words

"I don't blame you for that. That Sosuke Aizen guy was really powerful, taking on multiple captains and not receiving a single scratch. If Kisuke Urahara managed to outthink someone like that then it may be next to impossible to outthink him." Tsukishima assured Ginjo. "So what now?"

"Now, we wait for a day or two. Regardless of whether or not Yasutora Sado joins us or not is irrelevant. He is merely some sort of advertisement for us towards Ichigo. I will personally go to Ichigo and explain things to him. Is there anything else I should be aware of so that the story you said to Yasutora Sado would sync with what I would tell Ichigo?" Ginjo asked

"Nothing really. I just led him on about who we are and that he is like us. I also told him about how we want to lose our powers and he appeared to have believed it or at the very least trusts our word to give it some deep thought. He also has my contact information in order for us to receive his response." Tsukishima explained

"I see." Ginjo said as he got up. "That's good. There shouldn't be any conflicting detail when I meet up with Ichigo."

"How are you gonna meet up with Ichigo? Doesn't he have classes?" Tsukishima asked

"I actually thought he does. I don't really know why but there isn't any classes for the next few days. I never bothered to ask since it would be in our benefit." Ginjo answered as he went into a room, leaving Tsukishima alone in the living room

With Ichigo

Ichigo was in his inner world, dealing with the back to basics training that White told him about. White and Ichigo were in a sword lock. As White previously told him, he was gonna have to learn everything starting from the basics so here they were in a sword fight, no spirit energy involved, no flash steps, just plain swordsmanship. When they first started, they only did hand to hand combat and because of a certain father, Ichigo's skill in it hasn't dulled at all. In fact it allowed him to keep up with White to a certain extent and it didn't really take that long to train in it

But now, it was swordsmanship and that was a completely different story. Ichigo has been cut and slashed time and time again with White barely receiving any himself. It wasn't a surprise as Ichigo always did feel like his hollow let him win in every confrontation they had. He had opted not to call White as Zangetsu simply because he had gotten used to it so much and White didn't really care about it

Ichigo dodged a slash from White's own khyber knife whose color was the same as the name Ichigo calls him. This left him completely wide open as White then threw his own trench knife at Ichigo, who barely managed to dodge. Ichigo managed to regain his footing and tried so slash White but was easily blocked. He then pressed his advantage as White only had his khyber knife on him and attacked with both of his blades. White was then forced to dodge a few of them before managing to put some distance between him and Ichigo. He then performed a somersault and landed where his trench knife was and grabbed it. The both of them then ended up in a sword lock with two blades each. Before the fighting could continue, all of them then felt Tsukishima near Chad's house

"Is that the Tsukishima guy?"

"_It appears so_." Zangetsu answered him as he approached the duo from his flagpole

"They really appear to be in a hurry to get Chad on their side."

"**Not surprising. The stealth force's presence must be forcing them to get things moving. So what do you wanna do ichigo?"**

"Let's continue. I know why he's there anyway. If not, I can always use that zombies I left in their house to find out about it."

"**Good call. I actually thought you were gonna chicken out and decide to spy on their talk."**

"_Just do not get too overconfident because you know their purpose Ichigo. It may be wise to check just to be safe_."

"I know. Now then, let's continue." Ichigo said and with that, him and his inner hollow charged each other

A few minutes later

"_Alright. That is enough for now_."

"Huh? Why?"

"_Tsukishima has returned back to the house_."

The two Ichigos then stopped their duel and the three of them decided to observe the whole conversation

"So that's what they're planning. It's just as you said. Honestly I'm really starting to find it creepy how you know just about everything." Ichigo said as the fullbringer's conversation ended and White just laughed at Ichigo's comment. Ichigo just rolled his eyes. "Alright I'm gonna go get some rest."

* * *

**Here is the next one. Hope you enjoy it**


	30. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

**Note: For this chapter, both flashbacks and old man Zanget's dialogue will be in italics. Flashback part will be indicated in the chapter**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Nine - On Borrowed Time**

The next morning

Chad hasn't gotten much sleep last night which wasn't too surprising because of what Tsukishima offered him. A part of him told him that it was a trap, but when he thinks about what Ichigo must be feeling, he just wants to accept this without hesitation. Realizing that the decision was not up to him, Chad finally made up his mind. He picked up his phone and called Ichigo

After a while, Ichigo finally picked up. "Hello?" he asked

"Ichigo. It's Chad." Chad replied

"What is it Chad?" Ichigo asked

"Do you want to regain your powers Ichigo?" Chad curiously asked

Ichigo was not particularly surprised by the question. What he was more surprised about was the fact the the fullbringers actually used Chad to get to him. Even though he had a pretty good idea of where this was going, he answered. "What is this about Chad?" Ichigo asked with a bit of anger in his voice

"Last night a guy named Tsukishima came to my house. He told me that of a group called Xcution and according to him, they have powers that are similar to mine. He said that if you were to try it, you will gain a 'fullbring', which is what he called our powers and if you achieve it, they might be able to turn your fullbring into soul reaper powers." Chad replied

'So that's what they call their group.' Ichigo thought to himself as he went quiet, trying to be very careful in choosing his next words

"Ichigo?" Chad asked when Ichigo didn't speak anything for a few minutes

"Yeah I'm still here. It's just a lot to process." Ichigo replied. "This still doesn't make sense. What's in it for them if they help me regain my powers?"

"According to this Tsukishima guy, substitute soul reapers and fullbringers are polar opposites and can trade their powers. He said that Xcution wants to lose their powers to live normal lives and that's why they need a substitute soul reaper to do it." Chad explained

"If that's the case then it implies that they have met a substitute soul reaper before. Why are they not asking for that guy's help instead?" Ichigo questioned suspiciously

"He said the substitute soul reaper lost his powers and disappeared. He never gave me any of the details about that." Chad answered, now growing suspicous of Xcution

"At any rate, why did they go to you instead? They should have come to me about this." Ichigo curiously asked

"They were planning to, at least that's what he said but they first wanted me to give them my support on this." Chad told him

"I see. So, do you trust them?" Ichigo asked

"No. I haven't met them so not really. But it is still worth considering if you ask me." Chad replied

"Maybe. I'm not really sure about that and I for one do not trust them. Did this Tsukishima guy tell you to inform me of this?" Ichigo told him

"No. He just explained things to me. I just decided to call you to ask you about this." Chad answered

"Well, in that case I'll just wait until when they come to me before making a choice." Ichigo said sternly to which Chad just grunted in agreement. "What do you think about this?"

"I think it is worth a try. Even if you don't get your soul reaper powers back, you'll still have a fullbring if it succeeds." Chad said thoughtfully

"I guess." Ichigo replied with uncertainty in his voice. "Have you told Kisuke about this?"

"No." Chad simply replied

"Alright. Don't tell anyone about this yet. I wanna see this for myself." Ichigo instructed him

"Ok Ichigo." Chad simply said

"Gotta go Chad." Ichigo said before he hung up

"**You know, I'm rather impressed on how you handled yourself on that phone call. I actually thought you were gonna cringe." **White said cheekily

'Tell me about it. I'm still surprised myself that I somehow managed to remain calm through all of that.' Ichigo replied

"_So what will you do now Ichigo? We cannot do anything until the fullbringers make their move."_

'I'll wait for them to come to me. If they were really serious about this, then they would do it personally instead of using someone as a messenger.' Ichigo said as he got up and changed his clothes

"**You really are learning to think aren't ya Kingy?"**

**'**Yeah well it's hard not to learn considering how serious you were when you told me about Yhwach.'

At Chad's house

Chad grabbed the card Tsukishima gave him and made a call

"Hello?" Tsukishima asked

"Tsukishima, it's Sado. I just told Ichigo about your offer." Chad said

"What did he say?" Tsukishima asked

"He said that he wanted to hear it from you guys himself." Chad answered

"That's good. Thanks Chad." Tsukishima said gratefully to which Chad just grunted before hanging up

That evening

Ichigo was bored out of his mind at home and decided to go out somewhere. Feeling hungry, he decided to go to a food stall since he wound up near the mall. When he entered the mall though, he felt something familiar, it was Ginjo and for some reason, he was in the mall as well. 'The hell is he doing here?'

"_It seems that they are not sparing any time at this Ichigo."_

'Yeah well let's wait and see what happens.' Ichigo replied before heading to a table after getting some food from a stall

Soon enough, Ginjo came into his vision and appeared to be heading his way. "Oh hello there." Ginjo greeted

"Uh do I know you?" Ichigo pretended not to know him

"No. Actually no. But a few days ago I had my bag stolen and you were the one who stopped the thug." Ginjo reminded which Ichigo pretended to be surprised. "Thanks for that."

"Oh yeah now I remember. It's no big deal." Ichigo said thoughtfully

"May I sit?" Ginjo motioned to the chair on the other side of Ichigo's table

"Sure." Ichigo told him and Ginjo sat down. "So is there anything I can do to help you?"

Ginjo looked around to make sure no one was near enough to hear their conversation before finally giving his answer. "I know you are a substitute soul reaper Ichigo."

Ichigo froze upon hearing that, or more accurately, pretended to freeze up. "How do you know that?"

"I'm actually a person with my own spiritual powers and my powers are similar to your friend, Yasutora Sado." Ginjo answered him

"I see. So what does this have to do with me?" Ichigo curiously asked

"I am part of a group called Xcution. All seven of us have powers similar to your friend except ours manifest on objects of our choosing. We call ourselves as 'fullbringers' and we are the polar opposites of a substitute soul reaper. Because of this, substitute soul reapers and fullbringers can trade powers." Ginjo explained

"So you want us to trade powers with you?" Ichigo asked

"Not exactly. We want you to take our powers?" Ginjo asked

"What? Take your powers? Why?" Ichigo curiously asked

"For as long as we have been alive, we have been scorned upon by society simply because of our powers. That is why we want to be rid of them. So we can finally live normal lives." Ginjo answered him

"I see. But I'm not the first substitute soul reaper you met, isn't that right?" Ichigo pointed out

"Very perceptive. No you are not. Truthfully, the other substitute soul reaper that we had a deal to take our powers, lost his and without it, he was unable to take our own. Since then, he has left. Who was once one of our closest friends, just disappeared because of an accident." Ginjo lied to him

Ichigo wasn't fooled by it one bit. He was well aware of who this guy was and what his intentions are. "I'm sorry to hear that. I'm curious, what was the story of the other soul reaper?" he asked, genuinely wanting to know the story behind Ginjo

Ginjo looked around once more, making sure that nobody could hear them. Since everyone was still a good distance away, he decided to whip up an altered version of his own storySince he mentioned that he wasn't the substitute soul reaper, there was no reason for him not to answer the question and if he chose not to answer, Ichigo might get suspicious at how Ginjo wasn't trusting him. "Well, he trusted us enough to tell us his own story. His name was Ryota and his story was..."

_Flashback_

_Forty Three Years Ago_

_A man named Ryota was in his house in Naruki City, just enjoying the peace and quiet when he suddenly heard a commotion outside. He noticed that no one in his house heard the commotion and decided to check it out for himself. A good distance away in an empty park he saw the source of the commotion, it was a monster chasing the spirit of a young boy. Confused at how he was the only one who saw both the monster and the young boy, he immediately went to try and help him but was instead swatted away, not realizing that the monster was actually a hollow. The hollow, realizing that the newcomer had some decent spirit energy of his own, targeted him instead. Before the hollow could kill him, a man in black robes suddenly appeared and kicked the hollow, knocking it back_

_"Who are you?" Ryota asked which surprised the soul reaper as regular humans shouldn't be able to see him. Distracted by the question, the hollow used this opportunity and punched the soul reaper right in the abdomen, causing him to spit up blood and get knocked down. The hollow then tried to finish him off but Ryota got in the way and was the one hit instead. The soul reaper then decided to counter attack and cut off one of the hollow's arms, sending it reeling in pain but it soon became apparent that he was too injured to fight the thing for long_

_"Hey you. Get out of here now!" the soul reaper said before the hollow brutally kicked him twice, severely injuring him. Ryota noticed this and subconsciously tapped into his own spirit energy managed to force the hollow to go down for a few minutes by punching it in its legs. He then ran towards the down soul reaper_

_"You okay there? What is this thing?" Ryota asked, concerned about the whole situation_

_"No time to explain that now." the soul reaper said weakly. "I can't fight that thing anymore. I don't... have that much... longer." he said before spitting up more blood_

_"Damn. Now we're both gonna die. Get up." Ryota persisted the soul reaper_

_"No. You... have your own powers. Take what... I have... left... and live." the soul reaper said_

_"What? How?" Ryota asked in a panic as the hollow was beginning to get up_

_The soul reaper noticed this as well and gathered as much of his strength left. "By stabbing you with my sword. There is no guarantee it would work but if it does, you'll become a soul reaper yourself." he said, not expecting Ryota to ever agree with this_

_"I'll do it." Ryota said which surprised the soul reaper. "There is no choice. If it doesn't work I'm dead anyways."_

_The soul reaper smiled at this before using the last bit of his strength to stab Ryota right in the heart. A burst of light then emerged from the location and the soul reaper finally died, giving his remaining spirit energy to Ryota who was now a soul reaper_

_The hollow finally managed to get up from the leg injury given to him and noticed that Ryota was now a soul reaper and that the first one has just died. Not caring about what exactly happened, the hollow moved to attack Ryota, who just nonchalantly sliced it in two, finally ending the whole fight. He then gave the soul reaper a proper burial in a clearing nearby_

_A few weeks later, Ryota finally got the hang of it and even learned the name of his zanpakuto, Tobuko, and it had the ability to manipulate plants. One day, he felt the presence of several spiritual beings, both soul reapers and hollows. He investigated the area which was surprisingly, the same park where he first became a soul reaper and found a small group of soul reapers fighting off a huge group of hollows. It became clear that the soul reapers were overwhelemed by the sheer number of the hollows. There were seven soul reapers and about twenty hollows present. Three of them were already dead and the others were already showing signs of fatigue. Taking this as his cue, Ryota saved the soul reapers by manipulating the nearby plants and immobilizing the hollows before cutting off their heads, saving the rest of the soul reapers_

_"You guys alright?" Ryota asked_

_"Yeah, we're fine now thanks to you." the leader said_

_"That's good to know." Ryota responded_

_"My name is Kaien Shiba, nice to meet you." Kaien said_

_"Ryota Kozimu." Ryota responded and extended his hand to which Kaien gratefully shook it_

_"Which squad do you belong to Ryota?" Kaien asked while all of the others went to the nearby trees to rest_

_"Huh?" was all Ryota could respond. "I have never been part of anything in my whole life."_

_"So you were born with soul reaper powers then?" Kaien asked_

_"Not exactly." Ryota replied before giving the tale about how he got his soul reaper powers_

_"I see. So Enji is dead then?" Kaien said thoughtfully_

_"Enji? So that was the name of that soul reaper?" Ryota asked_

_"Yes. Enji was supposed to be in charge this town. Taking care of the hollows as well as sending souls to the soul society." Kaien answered_

_"The soul society? What is that?" Ryota asked_

_"The home of souls. Remember that young kid you mentioned in your story? He was a soul or rather, a 'whole' to be precise. We soul reapers perform what is called a konso on them which sends them to the soul society where they can finally live in peace. If they don't go to the soul society, they become hollows, which are fallen souls, instead." Kain explained_

_"What? So you mean those things I killed were wholes?" Ryota asked in shock_

_"Yes but you see, us soul reapers don't kill hollows. Instead, when we kill them with our zanpakutos, we purify them and then they are sent to the soul society." Kaien answered_

_"That's good to know." Ryota said in a relieved tone. "So are there other soul reapers like you?"_

_"Yes there are. In fact, the ones you see here are just a small detachment. There are a lot of us actually." Kaien answered before explaining the thirteen court guard squads to Ryota who was surprised to hear about it. "So anyway, wanna come with?"_

_"What?" Ryota asked in surprise_

_"Wanna come with us back? I mean you did save our lives so I can at least introduce you to our commanding officers so you will be recognized." Kaien offered him_

_"Oh sure I would like that. And what did you mean by 'our'?" Ryota curiously asked_

_"We are from different squads. We just joined up together for a joint training when we were ambushed." Kaien answered him_

_"Oh i see." Ryota said_

_"Alright everybody. Let's go." Kaien said which made everyone gather near him_

_"Is he coming with us Lieutenant Shiba?" one of the men asked_

_"Yes. He saved our lives so he at least needs to be recognized by our captains." Kaien explained before opening up a senkaimon and they all left_

_Flashback end_

"When he came back, he found me being bullied around in my neighborhood because of my powers and since then, I have been his protege and we have been searching for others like me. Soon enough, we did find others and we called ourselves Xcution. After a while, we realized that us fullbringers could trade powers. We then persuaded Ryota to have him take our powers but before we could, the soul reapers came and asked for his help with something. They never mentioned what it was but when he came back, he no longer had his powers. He decided to leave us because he felt that we were disappointed in him even though in truth we were not. Since then, we have been searching for another substitute soul reaper who would help us lose our powers." Ginjo finished the story

"Oh I see. That is a sad story. " was all Ichigo could say after hearing it

"Indeed it is. So will you help us? You won't have anything to lose if you do." Ginjo said

"I'm sorry but I can't. I no longer have my powers." Ichigo lied

"That's what I'm actually here for. Maybe there is a way for you to get a fullbring instead and become like us. From that, it might be possible for you to turn your fullbring into soul reaper powers." Ginjo explained

"I see." Ichigo simply replied and appeared to be in deep thought

"So will you help us?" Ginjo asked

"Well, this is not a particularly easy decision to make. I won't be able to decide right this moment." Ichigo answered

"That's alright Ichigo." Ginjo said before giving Ichigo a card. "So here is my card. Contact me when you have your answer."

"Yeah sure. Thanks for the offer." Ichigo said gratefully. 'Xcution 001 huh?'

"Alright. I'll be going now. Thank you for your time." Ginjo said before leaving

What Ginjo didn't realize though, is that Ichigo merely asked for the substitute soul reaper's story to distract him. While Ginjo was busy with the tale, Ichigo had a couple zombies stay in the mall area and released some of his spiritual pressure. Thanks to the training he got from both White and Zangetsu, he was able to lower it to the point where it would allow beings like Ginjo to sense it but it was just enough to attract attention. With the zombies in different areas in the mall, nobody would be able to tell that it was Ichigo's spiritual pressure as he released it through the zombies' location and not his own. That's not even counting that his spiritual pressure is now different from what it once was. It also appeared that Ginjo noticed a sudden rise in spiritual pressure as when he was telling the tale, he looked worried or shocked for a brief moment but he still continued on otherwise it would arouse Ichigo's suspicion

Exactly as Ichigo had intended, he felt one of the soul reapers come mid tale. He wasn't sure that he saw Ginjo although it was very very likely as he have been in the mall area for quite a while. His answer soon made itself known when he felt the stealth member force leave the area and was a good distance away from Ginjo. It seems that his plan worked

'This is bad. What was the source of that spiritual pressure?' Ginjo thought when he left Ichigo's table

With the stealth force

"I have located our target. He is heading north from the mall. Converge on my location but stay hidden." the stealth force member radioed his comrades

"Yes sir." the others replied through their comms

Soon enough, they converged on the first guy's location and found him observing a specific house

"Where is he?" a member asked when all of them finally converged

"He is in that house." the first guy said while pointing into the one he has been observing

"So what now?" another one asked

"For now, we retreat. We have the information we came here for. We need to relay this to the captains so they can decide our next course of action. Let's go." the first guy answered and soon enough all of them left

With Ichigo

A few minutes after Ginjo left, Ichigo went home himself. He was rather surprised at how things turned out while at the same time, felt a bit disgusted with himself

"**I must say Ichigo. That was rather smart of you to trick Ginjo to distract himself so you can lure in the stealth force like that. I didn't even have to tell you of a plan."**

**"**_Indeed. You even handled yourself well during Ginjo's story."_

'Thanks and speaking of Ginjo's story, do you guys think what he said was true?'

"**Does it really matter?"**

'In the long run nope, but it would be rather ironic if the most peace loving captain is actually the biggest snake in the rainforest.'

_"It is possible it might be true Ichigo. He appeared rather genuine when he explained the story."_

_**"**_**Ichigo, even if it was true, you do realize he was talking about himself and not about a guy named 'Ryota' right?"**

**'**Of course I do. Duh."

"**Well, good to know. But as you said, it doesn't matter one way or another."**

'So now what?'

"_We wait. Since the stealth force found Ginjo, they will most likely report it to the higher ups. When the soul reapers come to deal with Ginjo, ambush them, both the soul reapers and fullbringers."_

**'**What? Why?'

"**Just to make sure they're both dealt with. You know how incompetent the soul society is. If it is during the day, then all the more reason for you to ambush them. You have class tomorrow right?"**

**'**Nope. Still about a couple days before I have class. And I guess you're right. You did say I have to get rid of them myself at least once.' Ichigo replied as he finally got home. While he still felt rather disgusted with himself, he knew that at least once he gets rid of the fullbringers, he will finally have some breathing room

* * *

**Here is the next chapter. First things first, that name I used in Ginjo's flashback, Ryota Kozimu, is just a random name I came up with. It does not refer to anyone and it is purely fictional. So anyway, hope you enjoyed that because this is one of the chapters I really looked forward to write**

**Translations:**

**Tobuko - Fallen Tree**


	31. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

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**Chapter Thirty - Tying Up Loose Ends**

-Soul Society, Squad One Barracks-

Having just received a report from her men, Soi Fon immediately went to the head captain's office to report her men's findings

A knock was heard on the door to the head captain's office. "Enter." Yamamoto said and the doors opened. "What brings you here, captain of squad two?" he asked

"I bring an urgent report head captain. My men have finally found Kugo Ginjo. According to them, he has made contact with Ichigo Kurosaki." Soi Fon answered

"What? Has Ichigo joined up with him?" Chojiro asked in surprise over what he heard

"That is still unknown. My men did not venture too close to them as to avoid being seen by Ginjo." Soi Fon answered

"This is bad. What will we do know head captain?" Chojiro asked

"I am calling a captain's meeting immediately." Yamamoto said before leaving his office and headed to the captain's meeting room while Soi Fon followed him

A few minutes later, all the captains, minus Zaraki because he was napping, arrived at the meeting room

"This captain's meeting is now called to order." Yamamoto bellowed and nodded to Soi Fon

Soi Fon acknowledged this and gave her findings. "We have finally located Kugo Ginjo."

"What? Are you sure about this?" Ukitake asked in surprise

"Indeed. Ginjo has made contact with Ichigo Kurosaki. Whether Kurosaki has joined up with him or not is still unknown. What is known though is where Ginjo lives. He is staying in Karakura town for the time being." Soi Fon answered

"Well, at least our search is finally over." Kyoraku said nonchalantly. "What do we do about this old man?"

"Captain Soi Fon, you are to send your men back to the world of the living. Have them gather information about who is affiliated with Kugo Ginjo. More importantly, investigate if Kurosaki has joined up with him." Yamamoto ordered. "All captains are to prepare for a possible battle. We will move in against Ginjo when we have the information we need."

"Yes sir." nearly all of the captains said

-Karakura Town, Two Days Later-

The stealth force has gathered the required information. The weren't able to find out about names or anything, but they did discover that Ginjo has at least five guys with him in Karakura Town. Whether they have more or not was unknown. It was also confirmed that Ichigo hasn't joined up with him as he never visited the fullbringer's house even once. With this information, Soi Fon, Marechiyo and a bunch of stealth force members made their way into Karakura Town to eliminate Ginjo once and for all. Byakuya also accompanied them in the event something goes wrong

Their arrival did not go unnoticed by Ichigo. It was mid day and as such he was in class. Exactly as he thought, the soul reapers did report Ginjo to the higher ups. He was rather surprised though that they sent two captains to deal with him. He was also lucky that they decided to act now. Uryu had regained consciousness just yesterday and that got Ichigo worried for a bit as Uryu might notice the whole conflict. The only thing Ichigo could hope now is that Ryuken was right and Uryu's powers have been affected. Regardless, Ichigo probably won't notice what Uryu would be doing as he was still in the hospital. When Ichigo felt that the soul reapers were finally moving in towards the fullbringer's house, he pretended to go to the bathroom. Since he knew the soul reapers would be coming, he has trained real hard on multitasking so he can control his body while he ambushes both the soul reapers and fullbringers. He then controlled his body to return back to class while he went to observe the battle

At the Fullbringer's house

"Have the humans been evacuated?" Soi Fon asked her group as she observed the house

"Yes captain. All humans have been successfully evacuated out of this area." one of the members answered

"Good." Soi Fon replied. "Is the spirit restriction seal removed?"

"Yes captain." Marechiyo answered

"Captain Soi Fon, while you engage Ginjo and his group, I will be on overwatch and ensure that the battle does not go beyond this block." Byakuya said

"That's alright captain Kuchiki. Everyone, let's go." Soi Fon ordered and all of them moved to surround the house with the exception of Byakuya who positioned himself on the rooftop of a nearby building in order to get a good vantage point along with three members of the stealth force

The fullbringers were staying at the house as they didn't really have anything else to do. The only thing they could do is wait for Ichigo to give his response. Riruka was upstairs in one of the rooms when she decided to peek out of the window out of boredom. What she saw shocked her to her core. It was soul reapers, specifically members from the stealth force and they were on the roof of the nearby houses. Realizing the situation they were in, she immediately rushed downstairs. "Ginjooooo." she yelled as she ran down and ended up panting for air

"What is it Riruka?" Ginjo asked curiously when he saw Riruka

Riruka continued to pant for air before she finally managed to speak. "It's..." but it was too late. A strong spiritual pressure made itself known and it was right outside their house. It immediately grabbed all of the fullbringers' attention and even Yukio stopped playing his video game

"Kugo Ginjo. I know you're inside the house. Get out this instant!" a voice called out

Ginjo immediately recognized that voice. It belonged to that irritating squad two captain. The fullbringers immediately went out and were confronted by Soi Fon, Marechiyo and fifteen stealth force members. "You..." Ginjo said in a voice filled with hate

"Kugo Ginjo you are under arrest for treason as well as the murder of countless soul reapers. Surrender immediately." Soi Fon told Ginjo

Ginjo merely glared at her before summoning his sword from a cross necklace on his chest before charging at her. The others did the same as well and the stealth force members took on the others. Soi Fon personally fought with Ginjo while Marechiyo ended up fighting Tsukishima. The other fought off the fifteen stealth force members

With Riruka and Yukio

Riruka and Yukio wound up being forced to fight with each other against the stealth force. Since neither of them were used to a direct confrontation and that their powers are not suited to direct combat, they were overwhelmed rather easily despite the resistance they tried to give. Surrounded by at least five stealth force members, the two of them tried to fight as best they could. Out of the five opponents they were fighting, they were able to defeat four of them when they pretended to be defeated and caught them off guard. Yukio used his powers to put three of them in a dimension under his control and trapped them there while Riruka used her own powers to reduce the size of one of them, effectively removing him from the whole battle. Riruka was about to do the same thing to the ones trapped by Yukio when suddenly she was stabbed right in the back, causing her to cough up blood and fall to the ground. Yukio noticed this and immediately tried to help her but he was slashed across his back when another stealth force member came to aid his comrades. The member then decided to take Yukio's video game console and crushed it, releasing his comrades who were trapped in the pocket dimension. Whether the two were still alive or not was not known to the six who engaged them but they didn't have time to confirm that as there were still other enemies to fight. Because of the state Riruka was in, the one she shrunk down was returned back to normal size

With Jackie and Giriko

Jackie and Giriko were faring a lot better than the two youngsters in their group. Jackie's ability was suited to close quarters combat while Giriko's allowed him to support her from a distance. Since Ginjo was fighting Soi Fon and Marechiyo against Tsukishima, Giriko and Jackie fought off nine stealth force members. After a few minutes of fighting, Jackie already had a kill count of three while Giriko had two, leaving only four members still standing. At realizing that their opponents were actually good at combat, the stealth force members backed off and used their throwing knives instead, which most were blocked by Giriko's explosive time based ability. It was at this point that they noticed that Yukio and Riruka have been taken out and the ones that engaged them did not suffer much injuries

"This is bad. There's too many of them to engage." Jackie said as she and Giriko ended up in a back to back position

"I know. And both Riruka and Yukio are down." Giriko replied as he eyed the six stealth force members in front of him

The two were then forced to separate when one of the stealth force threw a bunch of knives at them. The others then immediately engaged Jackie and she ended up having to fight off four at the same time but her powers allowed her to do just fine. After a while, she was able to kill three of the four who engaged her while only suffering a few cuts, reducing the stealth force count to seven but then two more engaged her. This time she was forced on the defensive but other than that, she was still doing fine

Giriko on the other hand, was not as lucky. Since his powers were only for ranged combat, he tried to keep his distance as much as possible. He fought of six at first but after a while, two of them suddenly split up and went after Jackie after she killed another three of them. Using this as an opportunity, he secretly threw one of his time bombs at the two who left. The other four took the bait and went for the kill but Giriko suddenly turned around and threw a barrage of time bombs, blowing up and killing the four. Just as he was about to go help Jackie, a wrecking ball attached to a chain appeared out of nowhere and he took a direct hit. Injured as he was, he did not survive and was killed

Jackie noticed this and left herself wide open. "Giriko!" she yelled and tried to help but since she left herself open, the three she was fighting used this chance to cut her down, leaving her bleeding on the ground. Out of the fifteen stealth force members left, only three remained standing

With Tsukishima and Marechiyo

Tsukishima and Marechiyo since they fought seemed to be about even. Neither of them showed their abilities immediately as they each recognized that the other was a decent enough opponent

"You seem to be a decent fighter. Are you a third seat?" Tsukishima asked as he pushed Marechiyo away

"You're mistaken about that. You're talking to the richest man in the soul society as well as the lieutenant of squad two, Marechiyo Omaeda." Marechiyo proudly declared

Tsukishima sweatdropped at hearing this. "Are you really a lieutenant?"

"Hey! Just what exactly are you saying smartass?" Marechiyo asked in an offended tone

Tsukishima merely flashed in order to give his answer. Since Marechiyo was too busy fuming, he was too distracted to notice his opponent suddenly appear in front and was kicked right in his abdomen. "I'm saying that you're too weak for a lieutenant." Tsukishima said as Marechiyo was on his knees after that kick. Wanting to finish his fight as soon as possible, Tsukishima kicked Marechiyo again so that he would be lying on his back and tried to stab him in the face

Marechiyo noticed the situation he was in and saw the sword coming right at him. In a panic, he managed to flash away and tried to attack Tsukishima from behind who was then forced to block. The two of them continued their sword fight until Tsukishima managed to wound him on his upper body. "Hey! What's the big idea wounding me like that?" Marechiyo loudly whined

Tsukishima has had enough of this noisy so called lieutenant and immediately attacked him again. Marechiyo was now forced to block and dodge every single one of Tsukishima's attack and eventually, he received another wound near where the first one was. "I've had just about enough of you." Tsukishima said after inflicting the second wound and moved in to finish this once and for all

'This is bad.' Marechiyo panicked as he realized his opponent was not gonna be an easy one. He then decided to do the unthinkable, and ran away. "CAPTAINNNN! SAVE MEEEEE!" he yelled as he ran away to which Soi Fon just ignored it

Noticing his opponent run away, Tsukishima gave chase. "You're supposed to be a lieutenant aren't you? Why are you running away from a fight?"

"Shut up you bastard. I'll get you back for wounding my beautiful body if it's the last thing I do." Marechiyo retored

"Then prove it." Tsukishima said as he flashed in front of Marechiyo and launched an attack to which Marechiyo barely dodged before turning around and ran in the direction he came from instead

Thinking that the only thing his opponent can do is run away, Tsukishima decided to let him go. He then looked at the fight between Ginjo and Soi Fon. As he prepared to blindside Soi Fon

"Smash them, Gegetsuburi." Marechiyo yelled and threw his wrecking ball towards an unsuspecting Giriko, instantly crushing him

Tsukishima noticed when Marechiyo yelled something and looked at him. What he saw infuriated him. While he didn't particularly care that much about the other members of Xcution, it still pissed him off that his opponent tricked him into thinking he was helpless just so he could get the jump on someone else. "You! That was cheap." he said before charging at Marechiyo

"Dumbass! This is a fight. The only thing that matters is who wins." Marechiyo retorted. Realizing that Tsukishima was acting on impulse, he threw his wrecking ball towards him. It scored a direct hit and sent Tsukishima flying into a wall

In another part of town

Moe Shishigawara was just fooling around in the park as he had nothing else to do. He was called in to town in case the others might need his help. Suddenly, he felt a battle take place at where the others were staying. Realizing that his master Tsukishima was in danger, he immediately went to assist him

Ichigo noticed this as he felt another person with spirit energy head towards the fullbringer house. Knowing that this must be the last one of them, he had one of his zombies intercept him

As Shishigawara was running in an empty alley towards the others, a pitch black swordsman suddenly appeared out of nowhere and punched him right in the face

"Alright. Who in the hell are you?" Shishigawara demanded to know but the swordsman did not respond. "Fine. Don't answer me. I'll kill you either way." he said and grabbed his jackpot knuckle and tried to punch it back. The swordsman however just dodge them all and was soon forced against a wall. Shishigawara noticed this and tried to end it real quick. "Alright. Time to die." he yelled and tried to punch but suddenly, another pitch black swordsman appeared and sliced his right arm off, causing him to yell in pain. The first swordsman then pushed him away before drawing his blade and running him right through, killing him once and for all

As everyone else was busy fighting, nobody noticed that Shishigawara had been taken out. What is more, is that they were clueless that the one who killed him was actually their target, Ichigo, who used his abilities to create some troops and used them to kill Shishigawara

With Ginjo and Soi Fon

Since the start of the battle, both fighters were quite even. It wasn't a surprise as this was one between a substitute soul reaper and a soul reaper captain. Out of all the fights, theirs was most intense. Ginjo being a substitute soul reaper himself allowed him to keep up with the movements of the assassin captain. His big sword also gave him a slight advantage as it allowed him to extend his reach further than Soi Fon can extend hers. The two of them at this point were still trying to inflict damage upon the other but to no avail. Eventually, the two of them ended up in a sword lock and glared right at each other before Ginjo pushed her away

"I was wondering if you soul reapers were ever gonna find me." Ginjo said as he glared Soi Fon down

"You really think we gave up searching for you? We only got sidetracked but now, we're gonna kill you once and for all." Soi Fon responded with a glare of her own

"Yeah right. You morons can't even do anything right. You were mad at Aizen because he betrayed you. How are you any different from him?" Ginjo coldly asked

"That is none of your business." Soi Fon retorted. "You are a traitor yourself and you will be punished for it." she said before she flashed behind Ginjo and managed to kick him

Ginjo recovered quickly from the attack and swung his sword right at Soi Fon, who barely managed to dodge. He then launched a kick at Soi Fon and this time it connected, sending her skidding back. This did not deter Soi Fon a bit as she quickly got over it and moved behind Ginjo in an attempt to cut him down. Ginjo wasn't a slouch and he was able to quickly dodge the attack before launching his blade at Soi Fon, who now had no choice but to block. The two of them continued trying to attack each other until Ginjo managed to cut Soi Fon right above her right breast and forced her back

"You damn traitor. I'm gonna kill you for that." Soi Fon declared as she was reeling from the wound

"Traitor? The likes of you shouldn't get to say that word." Ginjo replied in an angry voice

"Silence traitor!" Soi Fon yelled as she put her zanpakuto side by side with her right arm. "Sting all enemies to death Suzumebachi." she said and released her shikai before flashing on Ginjo's right. Since Ginjo's sword was in that arm, he was unable to use it to block because of its size and got stabbed, creating a mark on where it hit. Soi Fon did not hesitate for a single moment and immediately went for the kill. "Nigeki Kessatsu." she said before attempting a second strike

This time however, Ginjo managed to force her back by using his left arm to throw Soi Fon off of him, avoiding the second strike. He then noticed Soi Fon coming right at him again at engaged her in a sword fight. Once again, he had a slight advantage as he had a bigger sword and Soi Fon was now only using a gauntlet. What surprised him though is that Soi Fon was trying real hard to hit at where the mark on his body was. 'So her target is the mark from her first attack? Guess I'll have to keep her away from it.' he thought before he kicked Soi Fon who was busy trying to get a second hit in

This did not faze Soi Fon who immediately went for the second hit again. This time though, Ginjo was prepared and blocked her strike but it left him open to an attack and as a result, he got a second mark on his back

"Just die already you traitor." Soi Fon yelled in frustration before charging again and aiming for either of the two marks

From the battle thus far, Ginjo has concluded that if Soi Fon were to get a second hit in on one of the marks, he would either get severely weakened our outright die. Noticing that Soi Fon was once again charging at him, he put his spirit energy into his blade and slashed downwards, creating an explosion and sent Soi Fon flying with a bunch of burns on her body. "Now sprout, Tobuko." he said and released his zanpakuto. His word then transformed from a giant one to a smaller one. It retained its shape while the blade was now a bit thinner than before. Now, it was the size of about a katana with the original blade's shape. It also had three protrusions that looked like roots coming out from different areas of the guard. Each protrusion was spiraling around and inwards towards the blade, stopping at the mid section

Realizing that his opponent finally used his power, Soi Fon did not waste any moment to find out what Ginjo's zanpakuto does and went for the kill, again. Suddenly, vines appeared out of the ground and wrapped around her feet, causing her to fall face first into the ground. More vines then appeared and wrapped around her body, effectively immobilizing her

Ginjo then walked towards a bound Soi Fon, who was struggling to break free from the vines. "Now then. I think it's time to end this wouldn't you say, Soi Fon?" he asked as he raised his sword. Green energy then surrounded his blade. As he prepared to swing it down, he suddenly saw Tsukishima being slammed into a wall. "Tsukishima." he called out and tried to go to where Tsukishima was. Out of all of the fullbringers, Tsukishima was the only one that he cared about. The guy was after all, his protege and was the only one who followed him without hesitation or objections

Using the distraction, Soi Fon pointed her palm and the vines. "Hado 31, Shakahho." she said and fired a red orb at the vines, creating an explosion and blowing them apart. She then sealed her zanpakuto and used it to cut the remaining vines. This alarmed Ginjo as his opponent was now free of his bindings. "Bakudo 61, Rikujo Koro." Soi Fon said with a pointed finger towards Ginjo. Six beams of light then appeared and forced him in place before he could react. It also caused him to lose his grip on his zanpakuto. "Bakudo 63, Sajo Sabaku." Soi Fon said and made sure that Ginjo was bound in place

"You're coming with me now, Kugo Ginjo. Normally I would execute you right here and now but the orders were 'if it was possible, bring him alive'." Soi Fon said as she walked towards him

Ginjo merely glared at her as he was defeated because he got distracted. "Damn you." was all he could say

"Wow. Well done captain. You finally defeated him." Marechiyo cheered as he approached his captain along with the other three surviving stealth force members. Before anything else could happen though, the stealth force members suddenly dropped dead along with the sound of two bodies being slashed, which alarmed both Soi Fon and Marechiyo. "What the hell? What happened?" he asked in surprise

Soi Fon and Marechiyo then widened their eyes as a pitch black khyber knife was suddenly run through Ginjo, right in the chest

* * *

**Here is the next one. Another chapter that I really looked forward to write. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before but I'll just say it again just to be sure. The fillers of Bleach are not part of my story. I have something else planned for them. Anyway, hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it**


	32. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty One - Ambush**

_Just Before Ginjo was stabbed_

_Ichigo was observing the battle from a distance. He noticed that Byakuya and three other stealth force members were in a nearby rooftop, probably to provide overwatch. Ichigo was so tempted to kill them right here and now but decided against it. When he noticed that Ginjo was about to be defeated, he summoned a pitch black katana using his flames and flashed to where Byakuya was. Faster than one can blink, he cut down the three stealth force members which alerted Byakuya to his presence_

_"Who are you?" Byakuya asked as he drew his sword. Ichigo on the other hand, did not answer him. While he had his mask on, he did not take the chance to reveal his identity if someone recognized his voice, so he just glared at Byakuya. "I see you refuse to answer." Byakuya said and attacked Ichigo_

_Not wanting to waste any more time with Byakuya, Ichigo simply did a spinning back kick, hitting the captain right in the abdomen and sent him crashing into a wall before dispelling his katana. He then suddenly vanished and flashed to where Ginjo and Soi Fon was, stabbing the fullbringer with his khyber knife right in the chest. Byakuya was stunned at this event as he couldn't even keep track of his opponent until Ginjo was stabbed_

With Soi Fon and Marechiyo

The both of them were in complete shock as Ginjo was suddenly run through. When the blade was finally pulled out, Ginjo fell to the floor, lifeless. The man responsible for his death appeared to be someone wearing a camouflage colored outfit along with a mask to hide his face. This was of course Ichigo but none of the soul reapers nor the fullbringers knew about this

Tsukishima finally recovered from the cheap shot that Marechiyo did and was horrified at what he saw. "Ginjo!" he yelled in desperation as his so called savior was now lifeless on the ground. Realizing that the soul reapers were not responsible but instead the newcomer, he charged at Ichigo

Ichigo just looked at a desperate Tsukishima who was charging at him. He did not ever bother to engage him and instead just threw his khyber knife at him, hitting him in the chest as well and causing him to fall, lifeless just like Ginjo

"Who the hell are you?" Marechiyo demanded to know as both fullbringers were now dead along with all the stealth force members

Before anything could happen, Byakuya suddenly appeared behind Ichigo and attempted to strike him down but Ichigo noticed this and blocked using his trench knife. Using the distraction, Soi Fon flashed to him and tried to strike him down as well. Realizing that both of his opponents were on opposite sides, Ichigo just stood there while still in a sword lock. When Soi Fon was nearing him, he flashed away and caused Byakuya to fall as there was no more weight holding against his strike. The two of them nearly stabbed each other because of their opponent's sudden disappearance. Luckily for them, they both managed to put their swords out of the way in time and instead ended up bumping into each other and falling to the ground

"Are you alright captain?" Marechiyo yelled as he ran towards the two when he saw what happened while Soi Fon and Byakuya picked themselves up

"Can it Marechiyo. We're fine." Soi Fon said as she lightly punched Marechiyo in the face

"You don't have to be so mean captain." Marechiyo whined before realizing something. "Hey where'd that guy go?"

"I don't know." Byakuya answered he looked around the area. "Whoever that was is far too fast. I couldn't even keep track of his movements when he attacked me."

"What? So, the guys who were with you are dead?" Soi Fon asked to which Byakuya simply nodded. "Damn him." Soi Fon cursed

"Well it looks like he's gone now." Marechiyo said in a relieved tone as he was intimidated by Ichigo.

Just as the three were about to investigate the blade their attacker threw at Tsukishima, Ichigo suddenly flashed in front of Marechiyo and delivered a very strong punch right to his gut, causing him to cough up blood and alerting the captains to his presence

"Get away from him. Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi." Soi Fon yelled and released her shikai before charging at Ichigo. Instead of dodging, Ichigo merely grabbed Soi Fon's arm, causing her to widen her eyes in both shock and fear. With a simple motion, Ichigo crushed Soi Fon's gauntlet shikai and nearly crushed her arm as well in just one move. Byakuya could not even do anything to assist her here since his own shikai would put her in harm's way

Ichigo then slammed Soi Fon to the ground before kicking her away. Byakuya then used this opportunity to release his shikai. Just seconds later, a thousand flower petal blades soon came Ichigo's way. Not intimidated by this ability, Ichigo merely flashed away when the blades got too close. While Ichigo was distracted by Byakuya's blades, Soi Fon sealed her shikai and sneaked up behind him despite now only able to fight with one arm. When she was close enough, Byakuya created a perimeter around Ichigo using senbonzakura to prevent him from escaping. Catching on to what they were up to, Ichigo delivered a vicious elbow jab to Soi Fon, hitting her in the head and knocking a few teeth out. He then grabbed Soi Fon by the neck and threw her at Byakuya's blades. When he saw what was going on, Byakuya immediately had the blades move away to avoid hitting her while Marechiyo, who just recovered from Ichigo's attack, saw his captain was in danger and immediately flashed to save her

"Captain!" Marechiyo yelled out and flashed in front of Soi Fon, saving her from crashing into the ground

Ichigo was not just slouching around when he threw Soi Fon. With her out of the fight for a few seconds, Ichigo used this chance and flashed towards Byakuya. Still unable to keep track of his opponent's movements, Byakuya was helpless as Ichigo kicked him right in the abdomen, again. Before he could crash into a building, Ichigo flashed behind and above him and slammed him right into the ground before kicking him towards Soi Fon and Marechiyo

"Damn you!" Marechiyo yelled as he put his captain down and seeing Byakuya kicked towards him. "Now smash them, Gegetsuburi." he yelled and released his shikai

"Marechiyo stop!" Soi Fon yelled but it was too late. Her lieutenant had already attempted to attack Ichigo without any thought

Unimpressed by the display, Ichigo blocked it with the side of his trench knife before outstretching his right hand. This caused his khyber knife, which was still in Tsukishima's body, to come flying towards him. He then caught his khyber knife and used it to cut the chain on Gegetsuburi which caused Marechiyo's eyes to widen in fear. Ichigo the put his swords to where he usually puts them, on his back and right hip before grabbing the wrecking ball and throwing it at Marechiyo, who took a direct hit as he was too shocked to even do anything and was slammed into a building. Fortunately for the soul reapers, their opponent did not take the battle further from where they evacuated the humans

"Looks like we will have to go all out on this one." Byakuya said, panting for breath, as they both watched Marechiyo getting destroyed by Ichigo

"I can't. We're not in the fake karakura town anymore. My bankai is too risky to use in a place like this." Soi Fon objected as she too was panting

"I'll release mine then. You get ready to deliver the finishing blow." Byakuya said to which Soi Fon nodded

Soi Fon then charged at Ichigo as he just finished getting Marechiyo out of the fight, for now anyway. Before Ichigo can do anything

"Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi." Byakuya said and dropped his sword into the ground. Multiple blades then appeared from the ground and scattered into innumerable flower petal blades, all of which were heading straight for Ichigo

At the Urahara Shop

Everyone at Urahara shop felt the battles that were going on between the fullbringers and the soul reapers

"Boss, shouldn't we go out to help them?" Tessai asked as him, Kisuke and Yoruichi were playing cards

"Why go? Byakuya and Soi Fon are dealing with this themselves. Let's just leave it to them. Besides, they would be very pissed off if we interfere." Yoruichi answered

"She's right. Plus, I'm winning." Kisuke replied cheerfully as he put down a few cards which shocked Yoruichi

"What the hell Kisuke? You're cheating, aren't you?" Yoruichi yelled when she looked at the cards

"I win again." Kisuke said in a happy tone while hiding his face behind his fan

"Looks like you'll have to mind the shop tomorrow Yoruichi." Tessai pointed out as Yoruichi lost the game

"Damn it. I swear you're cheating Kisuke." Yoruichi fumed and demanded that they play another match

A while later, the initial battles had just ended and the spiritual pressure from it died down. Suddenly, the three of them felt Byakuya and Soi Fon's spiritual pressure significantly drop in no more than twenty minutes than when the battles first ended, which can only mean one thing, something has gone wrong

With Soi Fon and Byakuya

Soi Fon was flashing from one spot to another in order to confuse Ichigo while Byakuya attacked him from multiple sides. At this point, Ichigo would normally not give a damn about Byakuya's bankai as it was far too weak to deal any damage to him but he did not take the chance that his clothes might get ripped, especially his mask, so instead he just dodged them all. He soon stopped dodging and stayed at a particular spot, the very same spot where he slammed Marechiyo, who still hadn't recovered from his attack

Not realizing what he was up to, Byakuya had most of his blades attack towards Ichigo. When the blades got too close, Ichigo grabbed the wrecking ball's chain and flashed away, causing Byakuya to widen his eyes in shock as his blades were now heading straight towards Marechiyo and it was now too late to redirect all of them

Soi Fon saw this and widened her eyes as well. "Marechiyo!" she yelled and put up her left hand. "Bakudo 81…" she said as she attempted to protect her subordinate but was suddenly hit by a wrecking ball as Ichigo threw it at her when she was distracted. This left Marechiyo helpless as he was still unconscious. Soon enough, the inevitable happened and he was attacked by Byakuya's own bankai. This also caused Gegetsuburi to finally return to its sealed state

Furious at what happened, Soi Fon shrugged off the recent hit and flashed towards Ichigo. But, Ichigo expected this and simply punched her in the stomach. This did leave Ichigo's backside open though which Byakuya took advantage of it and sent all his blades right at him. Unfazed by the attempt, Ichigo grabbed Soi Fon by the back of her neck and held her up, using her as a shield. This caused Byakuya's eyes to widen and immediately diverted his blades to go to different directions. Seizing this chance, Ichigo dropped Soi Fon and flashed behind Byakuya and quickly summoned another katana, which Byakuya did not notice from where it came from, before slashing him across the back, causing him to fall to the ground. His bankai was soon dispelled as Byakuya was severely injured from the attack. Ichigo then threw the katana at Soi Fon, who just got up and was hit right in the middle of her breasts, barely missing her heart. He then summoned another katana and threw it at Marechiyo to finish him off for good

'Well look at that. Guess all that training during the other day really paid off. White was really right for me to go back to basics.' Ichigo thought to himself before focusing on his human body for a minute. To his relief, no one suspected that something was off. Then again, he did practice really hard on multitasking but on the other hand, his class still wasn't over so the students were busy with the lecture. Ichigo then grabbed the handle in his khyber knife to finish him off once and for all before suddenly

"Shibari, Benihime." a voice called out and a blood red net soon covered Ichigo. He looked around and saw Kisuke and Yoruichi arriving on the scene. Kisuke then stabbed the net with his sword. "Hiasobi, Benihime, Juzutsunagi." he said and soon, orbs appeared on the net and began exploding starting from where Kisuke's sword was. Realizing that this might damage his clothes and reveal who he was, Ichigo immediately grabbed his trench knife and cut open the net before flashing away to a good distance. He then saw Yoruichi grabbing Byakuya and removing the katana that stabbed Soi Fon

"This is really bad. Yoruichi, get them both to the shop, I'll deal with this guy." Kisuke instructed. Yoruichi was about to object but ultimately agreed

"Alright. Be very careful Kisuke. We don't know who he is." Yoruichi said

Since Ichigo did not consider them as his enemies, he simply flashed away, much to their relief. They did not want to fight with the soul reaper captains this injured around them. They were also slightly intimidated by the fact that this guy took down both Byakuya and Soi Fon with almost zero effort

"Let's get them to the shop." Kisuke said while looking at the scene, trying to see what he can find

"Kisuke, let's go." Yoruichi said before Kisuke grabbed Byakuya. The both of them soon flashed away back towards the Urahara Shop

When the both of them were gone, Ichigo returned to the battlefield and grabbed his khyber knife before sending black flames towards the bodies

"**Ichigo, only burn the bodies but not the clothes."**

'Huh? Why?'

"**So that it will be confirmed that they are dead. If the clothes are gone, they might cling to hope that these fools could still be alive and might be incredibly desperate to find them. One of them is a lieutenant after all."**

'Alright.' Ichigo replied before having the flames burn the bodies. Just to be safe, he only left Marechiyo and the stealth force's clothes intact while he also burned the fullbringer's since he used his zanpakuto to kill them and did not want to leave any clues behind, other than the obvious attack. He then left the scene and returned back to class

At Ichigo's School

Chad, Orihime and Bambietta all felt the battles that raged in a different part of town. Both Chad and Orihime wanted to go and help but they chose not to. For one thing, they were in class and for another, they didn't want to make Ichigo feel 'worse' about being helpless. The both of them only hoped that Kisuke and Yoruichi helped the soul reapers instead

Bambietta on the other hand, couldn't care less about what was going on. In fact, she was relieved that she no longer had to deal with the guys with weird powers. At least now, she no longer has to worry about those guys potentially doing something that would concern Ichigo and make her mission more annoying that it already is

A few minutes later, Orihime got a call

"Hello?" Orihime whispered into the phone as to avoid getting scolded by the teacher

"Orihime, it's Kisuke. I need you to come to the shop, now." Kisuke said in a serious tone

Realizing how serious Kisuke was, "Ok mr Kisuke, I'll be right there. I'll just have to skip class." Orihime said before getting up and grabbing her bag

"And where are you going Orihime?" the teacher asked when Orihime walked to the door

"I'm sorry ms Ochi. But an emergency came up and I have to go." Orihime respectfully said and immediately left the room, not giving Ochi a chance to ask what it was about

"Orihime…" Ochi called out but Orihime already left. "Guess there's always something lively about this class. Alright now back to the lesson." she said and continued the discussion

Bambietta noticed this and immediately realized what happened. The soul reapers who came here were ambushed and were badly hurt. If Orihime was called out, the only one who would do so would be Kisuke Urahara. She also felt that the fullbringers died during the battle. While she was relieved that they were finally dead, it also made her worry a bit as the soul reapers might send more troops here to find whoever ambushed them. She didn't have any evidence to support but the only one she could think of who would be responsible for it is the guy she saw a few days ago. A guy with powers but for one reason or another, does not have spiritual pressure. 'Might as well investigate the scene later, just to be safe.' she thought to herself

Chad also felt the same thing and realized that the soul reapers must have been badly hurt. It also confirmed his suspicion that Xcution was not to be trusted as to him, why else would the soul society target them. Little did he know about the soul society's plans that concern him and his friends. When he saw Orihime being called out, he wondered what happened. When he thought about it, either the soul reapers have lost or someone unexpected arrived. He then looked at Ichigo but he appeared to be unaware of what exactly happened while Ichigo did frown when he saw Orihime leave. What nobody knows is that Ichigo hasn't even returned to the room yet and that he was the one responsible for why Orihime was even called out in the first place. Still, he did wonder who Xcution really was and it appears that he won't be getting that answer anymore

A few hours later at the Urahara's Shop

Soi Fon and Byakuya have been tended to by Kisuke and the others. While Orihime did manage to heal their bodies, they were still left unconscious from the attack for a few hours. When they finally regained consciousness, it was just about dusk and found themselves at Urahara's Shop. At Kisuke's instruction, Orihime was told not to tell anyone about this yet, especially Ichigo

Tessai opened the door to the room. "Good. You're both awake now. I'll inform the boss." he said before leaving

The two then gathered to the main room of the shop along with Yoruichi and Kisuke. "So what were you two doing here anyway?" Kisuke asked

Soi Fon just remained silent and refused to answer. Seeing that his colleague refused to answer, Byakuya spoke. "We finally found the first substitute soul reaper, Kugo Ginjo. We came here to eliminate him."

"Substitute soul reaper? Has he made contact with Ichigo then?" Yoruichi asked

"Yes, but Ichigo is not with them." Byakuya answered

"How do you know that?" Kisuke curiously asked

"We have been sending members of the stealth force to this world. A few weeks ago, we sent the first batch but recently discovered that they were somehow killed. We sent the next batch a few days ago and they successfully located Ginjo talking with Ichigo." Byakuya answered

"So, I take it that you two being here was to deal with him then?" Kisuke asked a perfectly obvious question

"Yes." Byakuya simply replied

"Where is Marechiyo?" Soi Fon asked when she realized he was nowhere to be seen

"I'm sorry Soi Fon. I went back to the scene after we brought you here. When I arrived, the bodies were gone and only his clothes remained while Ginjo and the others' were nowhere to be seen. It's almost like Aizen's experiments a hundred years ago." Kisuke answered

"So is Aizen the one who attacked?" Byakuya asked

"I doubt that. Aizen is imprisoned in muken under the tightest security. I highly doubt he would be able to escape without the soul society panicking." Kisuke answered

"So, we have no clue who our attacker was?" Byakuya asked

"For now, no, and from what I can tell, we won't be able to figure this out for quite a while. Whoever that guy in the camouflage suit was does not want to be found and he is very good at hiding his tracks." Kisuke cryptically replied. Just before any more discussion could take place, Soi Fon suddenly ran outside with a rather sad expression

"Soi Fon." Kisuke yelled and got up but a hand was placed on his shoulder

"Let her go Kisuke. I'll talk to her later but just let her mourn her lieutenant for a while." Yoruichi said

"Alright." Kisuke answered as he, Yoruichi and Byakuya looked at the door where Soi Fon left

With Ichigo

Ichigo on the other hand, had been keeping an eye on the Urahara Shop ever since he returned to school. He observed the discussion that took place. It appears that Kisuke had no clues as to who or what the guy who attacked the soul reapers was, yet, and finally confirmed to Soi Fon that Marechiyo is dead. This gave him a sense of relief as he then had the zombie that was still in the fullbringer's house burn every trace of evidence in the battlefield. He also got lucky that Kisuke chose not to take anything from the scene although he did wonder why. The guy was always a mystery to him. This move would leave everyone with no clues about this mystery person

Hours later

Ichigo finally came back from school. He just greeted his family and beat his father into a wall before going back to his room. Once he finally settled, "What have I done?" he asked himself

* * *

**Well, finally finished the fullbringer part. If you are wondering why the fullbringers were so easily defeated, well to me they seemed weak, like horribly weak, aside from Tsukishima and Ginjo of course. They were even helpless against the soul reapers in the final episodes of the anime despite the power up and since they don't have Ichigo's power in this story, I made them that weak. Also if you are wondering why Ichigo's personality became darker, I will explain that in the next chapter or the other one after**


	33. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

**Note: Outside of Ichigo's inner world, White will be referred to as 'Zangetsu' while Ichigo's quincy powers will be referred to as 'old man'. This will remain for future chapters unless otherwise specified**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Two - Persuasion**

At Ichigo's house

"What have I done?" Ichigo said as it dawned on him

"**What are you whining about now?"**

'I can't believe I just did that. I killed those guys. Why have I even done it?'

"**Stop whining and get your ass in here."**

Ichigo did what he was told. He entered his inner world with a rather sad and regretful expression and came face to face with his inner spirits. "Why? Why have you allowed me to become like this?"

_"Why are you regretting what you did Ichigo?"_

"Why would I not? I shouldn't have killed them."

**"And why not? Just because they were humans? Or that they should have been given a second chance? I thought you were past that crap Ichigo?"**

Ichigo just fell silent at this. He really didn't know what to say

**"I'll tell you a little something Ichigo. You've been wondering why you think you're going down a darker path or something along that line since you got your real powers right?"**

"Yeah. Why is that?" Ichigo asked sadly

"**Because of me."**

"What?"

"**I am your zanpakuto Ichigo. It's only natural that some of my personality rubs off on you even if you don't realize it. That is the reason you think you're becoming darker."**

"What?! Why?! You want me to be a ruthless killer or something?"

"**You still really are naive aren't you?"**

"Just answer the damn question."

_"It is because of your mindset Ichigo. I am sure you already know this but you set for yourself some standards and morals. You only do what you think is 'morally right' such as only engaging when your enemy doesn't have his back turned or not killing when you have a choice."_

"What the hell does that have to do with this?"

"**Isn't it obvious Ichigo? We want you to discard these so called morals."**

"What?! Why would I do that?"

"**The fate of everything that exists hangs in the balance and soon the battle for it will begin. Are you really gonna wager the survival of the worlds on something as worthless as morals or pride?"**

**"**Hey that's not true. I am not gonna let Yhwach will not succeed. I will stop him just like I would against anyone who wants to destroy everything."

White became irritated at this. He lost his usual grin and his face became one that had an angry expression. This unnerved Ichigo as whenever he was not grinning, it only meant one thing and that was he was not kidding around anymore

"**Are you really that stupid Ichigo? This is real life. It does not matter whether you are right or wrong. The only thing that matters is the strength and will. The ones who have the strength along with the necessary will to achieve their goals will be the ones who succeed, even if the goal is to destroy everything. As long as they have both, they will be the ones who stand on top. This is NOT some stupid comic book or tv show where even if the villain is winning, some bullshit happens and the hero ends up defeating him."**

Ichigo went silent at this again. While he doesn't really read comics that much, he did read quite a few and White was right, as usual

_"He is right Ichigo. You base yourself on morals too much. You may think that is a good thing but it is not. It what makes you easy to be taken advantage as your enemy will think you will not do something simply because it is 'morally wrong'. For you see Ichigo, in this world, there is no black or white. That is merely a concept created to draw a line between right and wrong. However, this idea is not plausible at all."_

"Why is that?"

_"Because of perspectives. What you consider as 'right' could be something that another considers as 'wrong'. For example, you think that you should give your enemies a second chance, but to another, they think they should kill their enemies as soon as they can. The fact is, it is very rare for two beings with different beliefs or morals to just respect each other and would thus result in a fight."_

"**Exactly. That is why we want you to just discard your so called morals. In the end it will achieve nothing and will only drag you down."**

Ichigo could only stare at the two. This was another lecture and the two were not kidding around. Not that they ever did when they wanted to teach Ichigo a lesson

"What would my family think if I become ruthless? What would my mom think if her little boy was no longer the same?" Ichigo muttered sadly after being silent for a while

"**I think the bigger question is, what would she think if their own son did not do what is necessary to save everything?"**

**"**What?"

"**You still don't get it do you? There is a difference between good and greater good. If you only focus on the good, you are only thinking about short term. When you want to do something for the greater good, you will be forced to make tough choices and most of the time, you won't like them. You still want to protect those closest to you right?"**

**"**Yeah."

"**Then do what is necessary to protect them, even if you have to kill every single person you come across but at the same time, make sure you are protecting yourself as well. Protecting others begins with protecting yourself. Remember, none of your friends can stand at the same level as you so if you die, you will have doomed them all. You don't want that now do you?"**

**"**No. I don't want that."

"**Then grow up. Don't forget, you don't have to answer to anyone or anything. You have no obligation to explain your actions to anyone. Your friends do not share your perspective. They don't understand just what exactly is at stake here and you do. These kinds of choices might not be something you agree with but the bottomline is that they are necessary. Doing what is necessary is always more important than doing what you consider as 'morally right'. This isn't some stupid comic books where there is always 'another way'."**

Ichigo became quiet once more. He is having a really hard time digesting the things his inner spirits are saying

_**"**__This is why you must also detach yourself from your friends. Yes, you can still consider them as friends but you can no longer have to have them with you when you do something or when you fight."_

"Why is that?"

"**Because the fate of everything hangs in the balance. You cannot afford to hesitate when you fight Yhwach. One moment of hesitation or worry about something else could potentially mean the end of everything. Do you understand this Ichigo? When you took it upon yourself to protect this world, you have lost the luxury of having friends to be there for you. Whether they become your enemies or not is up to them but the fact still stands. You are on your own now as you cannot afford to worry about them anymore."**

_**"**__In the end, your actions will still achieve the same results Ichigo. I do agree with your friend Nelliel about pacifism. She believes that any dispute should be settled without violence. However, this is a very risky move as you have no control about what the other party might want and they could have simply faked it so they can kill you at an appropriate time. In other words, getting rid of those you consider as your enemies will achieve the same result as protecting someone or something for without any threats, no one will endanger the ones you care about."_

**"**You two will help me with stopping Yhwach right?" Ichigo asked after a while of becoming quiet again

_"Of course we will Ichigo. We will not judge you about your actions for we know what you really desire and that is to protect but we will help you to achieve that goal."_

**"Yes but we will do it on our own terms but our powers will still be at your disposal."**

**"**Thanks you two. Really." Ichigo said with a smile to which both of them returned it, even White was smiling and not grinning. After a while, Ichigo began to realize something "Hey White."

"**What is it?"**

"So what is the other reason you have for trying to change me?"

"**What do you mean?" **White asked innocently with his grin returning

"That's just how you operate. Whenever you tell me to do something or give me a lecture or advice, there is always an ulterior motive. So what is it?"

White's grin became wider at hearing that. "**Well well. Seems like someone is becoming observant. Since you figured it out, I'll tell you. You need to become a bit more dispassionate so that you will use your head more often and to remain calm."**

"Care to explain that?"

"**Well for one thing, it is for your own good. I highly doubt others taking advantage of you is something you enjoy. Also, there are three ways for me to take over your body. Yes I can no longer interfere like I used to before but I can still take over. The first is, when you become knocked unconscious or too injured. You learned of this when I saved you from Ulquiorra. The second is when you willingly let me take over. The last one is if you get mad, and I do mean really mad, then whether the both of us like it or not, I will be forced to surface. Do you get where I'm going with this?"**

**"**I think so. You're training me to become more calm so that you don't take over my body as often right? I never thought I'd hear you say that. I always thought you'd jump at the chance to take over."

"**Not necessarily. Think of it this way. You have earned enough of my respect for me to respect you and lend you my power, but not enough for me to help you in the exact way you want me to. I'm sure that at this point you have figured out my opinion about your friends. Let's just say something unfortunate is gonna befall them if I do get to take over your body."**

"Yeah. You think that they are only holding me back. As Aizen put it 'weights that drag me down'. Well, I'm not gonna complain. The two of us are never gonna agree on that one. But I'm grateful that you're giving me the chance to do things my way." Ichigo said, smiling

_"Indeed. We have already told you once Ichigo, our goal is to protect you and you alone. What happens to them is none of our concern."_

**"Yeah, so we got your back Ichigo."**

"Thanks a lot you guys."

Realizing that he had been inside his inner world for a while, Ichigo panicked and immediately returned to his body. Luckily for him, his family left him alone for nearly an hour. 'So now what?'

"**Now, we get the information from Bambietta."**

'How do I do that? You figured out something to exploit?'

"**Not really. It's just the same. Your only bargaining chip is your knowledge of Yhwach's power. If she already knows about it, then just kill her."**

'This isn't gonna be easy.'

_"When is it ever easy Ichigo? The night is still young. When your family is asleep, find a way to lure Bambietta out of her house. Once you have her away from it, then you can go and have a little chat with her. Tell her that you're there to make a deal with her. In exchange for her telling you the details about the wandenreich, you will tell her all you know about Yhwach's power or what he is planning to do."_

'What is he planning to do anyway?'

_"To kill the soul king. If the soul king dies, all the worlds will collapse. However, should he choose to take the soul king's power for his own, he will have enough to merge all the worlds, effectively removing the reincarnation cycle and ensuring that everyone will not die due to aging."_

'A world like that?'

"**Yes. Basically a world without the fear that at any moment, your time on it will suddenly end."**

'Now that is a rather interesting goal.'

"**Perhaps, but when the worlds are merged, just about everyone not named Sosuke Aizen will die, including you."**

'Okay that is a rather bad goal.'

"**Way to backtrack Ichigo."** White sneered

_"Just tell Bambietta this information Ichigo. When she tells you about the wandenreich, give her the information about Yhwach's power. Do not tell her about Yhwach wanting to merge the worlds until we tell you to."_

'Alright.' Ichigo responded and looked at his clock. It was nearly seven so just a few more hours to go

-Ichigo's Inner World-

While Ichigo was busy doing some random stuff, White and Zangetsu decided to have a little conversation

_"Was this a wise idea?"_

"**What do you mean?"**

_"If Ichigo does continue becoming more and more dispassionate, he might succumb to hatred and do something he might regret."_

"**I know. But you can never be too safe. In the end, would it really matter? As long as Ichigo gets what he wants all of us wins."**

_"Yes but it would rain in this world if Ichigo does make a mistake."_

"**That's true. Which is why I want him to remain calm. So that he can make tough decisions without having to rely on us for directions on what to do next. For now, we have to babysit him. Soon, he will learn how to think with the bigger picture. Besides, if he does something he will regret, it would be a good experience for him to learn how to think things through. First hand experience is always better than just telling someone about it."**

_"You have a good point there. I am still concerned about this. He considers his friends as his source of strength. He might lose his will to live if they don't consider him as their friend because of this."_

**"In that case it would still be to his benefit."**

_"What do you mean by that?"_

**"You said it yourself, the difference in perspectives. If they really are his friends, then even if Ichigo does something they don't like, they'll believe that he has a good reason. When the time comes that Ichigo confronts them, it will be the moment of truth. If they really are his friends, either they would understand or at the very least, not criticize him. If they don't and just discard him, then they were never his friends to begin with. The soul society doesn't count since they already betrayed Ichigo."**

_"That is true. I just hope Ichigo will not take it too personally. The level of power he has will put him at odds with those that he considers as his ally now."_

**"You're right. What I'm really concerned about is if Kisuke becomes his enemy because of this."**

_"I highly doubt that. At this point, it is logical to conclude that the soul society will eliminate Kisuke Urahara should the truth about their plans be known to him. Since Ichigo knows the truth about the soul society's true colors, Kisuke will have no choice but to pick Ichigo's side. Keeping a secret from him is something almost impossible to achieve and Kisuke is not strong enough to take on the entire soul society on his own while Ichigo can."_

**"Yeah. I really hope you're right. It would be a waste if someone like Kisuke becomes Ichigo's enemy."**

_"Agreed."_

A few hours later

Ichigo's family was finally asleep, including his father. Ichigo then decided to leave the house and went invisible. He settled on the roof of a nearby house before trying to track Kisuke. When he found that he was still in the shop, he had the zombie in the shop check it out and made sure Kisuke was asleep. Since he was asleep, Ichigo tracked down Bambietta

Bambietta was not at her house though. Since it was near midnight, she figured everyone or nearly everyone was asleep and went to the fullbringer's house. She made sure that nobody was in the area before sneaking into the house. What she found was rather surprising. It was information about Ichigo's friends. 'I guess they really were planning to get Ichigo on their side or something.' she thought to herself as she continued to check out the stuff inside the house. While she was checking out one of the rooms, she saw someone on the roof of the house across the street. Bambietta couldn't really tell where the guy was looking at but when she went to the window to get a better look, the person just vanished and appeared on a nearby rooftop. Thinking that the guy knows who she is, Bambietta immediately turned her body invisible to regular humans before giving chase in an attempt to kill him

When she reached the rooftop, black chains suddenly erupted from the ground and bound her. Black flames then appeared and when she thought she was gonna get burned, she was instead surprised when it only formed a cage around her instead

"Bambietta Basterbine, am I right?" the man spoke as he approached her

'This voice. Why does it seem so familiar? It couldn't be him, could it?' she thought worriedly. "Who the hell are you and how do you know who I am?" she asked in a pissed off voice

"I know who you really are Bambietta Basterbine. I know you're a quincy. I even know that you're part of the wandenreich as one of Yhwach's sternritter." the man said which caused her to flinch

"Who are you?" Bambietta asked in a confused tone while still a bit irritated

"Don't worry. I only came here to make a little deal with you." Ichigo said

Bambietta was growing more and more irritated. She really wanted to blow stuff up but she knew she couldn't. At the same time, she really wondered who this guy was and decided to play along. "A deal you say? I'm listening."

"Good. Before anything else, tell me, what do you know about Yhwach himself?" Ichigo asked

"That he's the king and proginator of the quincies. And that our powers came from him." Bambietta answered

"Is that all?" Ichigo asked again

"Why would I tell you anything about his majesty?" Bambietta asked in an angry tone

"That takes us to the deal I wanna make. In exchange for you telling me all that you know about the wandenreich, I will tell you what I know about Yhwach." Ichigo said

"And why would I accept this deal?" Bambietta curiously asked

Ichigo then decided to release her from her bindings. This did surprise Bambietta for a bit but she still chose not to do anything stupid. "Because I know you're having doubts. While I am not particularly sure about what exactly, I do know that you are wondering what Yhwach is really up to."

Now this got Bambietta's attention. She has always wondered about what Yhwach's endgame really is. Even if this guy doesn't know what he is talking about, then at least she would have something to work with. "So if I tell you everything about the wandenreich, you'll tell me about what his majesty is really planning?"

"No. I do not know that information myself. All that I know is what Yhwach's power really is." Ichigo answered

Bambietta pondered her options for a bit. She really wondered who this guy was and his voice does seem very familiar to her. Ultimately, Bambietta decided to give in as she thought that if she didn't, this guy was gonna kill her. "The wandenreich is located in the soul society. To be more precise, in its shadows. It is called the 'Schatten Bereich'. To access it, you manipulate the reishi around you to bring you into the shadows. To exit the wandenreich, you can use the previously said method or by accessing a gateway known as the 'gate of the sun'. It connects the wandenreich to wherever you wanna go."

"What about the sternritters?" Ichigo asked

Bambietta became quiet again. 'Should I tell him or not?' she wondered about that herself. Deciding on a do or die strategy, she once more decided to play along as at this point, she finally realized that this man can kill her and she would not be able to do anything about it. "There are twenty seven sternritters in total. Each of us have a unique power gifted to us by his majesty. The nature of our powers varies and it depends on the schrift assigned to us. Four of the sternritters are assigned as his majesty's personal guard known as the 'Schutzstaffel'. While I do not know about what powers the others have, I do know about four others." she said before explaining the powers of the ones in her group, Meninas, Candice, Liltotto and Giselle

"I see. Thank you for that." Ichigo said in a grateful tone

"So are you gonna uphold your end of our bargain?" Bambietta asked as she crossed her arms

"**I like this one. She cannot sense your spiritual pressure so she should know the difference in power between you two. Even with that, she still acts as if the both of you are equals or something." **White commented cheekily to Ichigo

Ichigo looked at her for a bit before finally giving his answer. "The Almighty."

"What?" Bambietta asked

"Yhwach's power is called 'The Almighty'. It has the power to shape the future into what he desires. In other words, whatever future he wants, he will most likely get it." Ichigo answered

Bambietta was shocked to hear what Yhwach's power really was. Well shocked was putting it lightly. This really caught her off guard because as far as she knows, only Haschwalth has the knowledge on what Yhwach's power is and none of the other sternritter knows about it. "What did you say?"

Instead of answering her directly, Ichigo decided to explain it as best he could. He didn't exactly have any idea how to so he decided to just improvise. Ichigo then ripped of a chunk of cement and crushed it, turning it to dust before settling it on a spot. He then grabbed his trench knife and created a scratch in the shape of a circle on the ground. "Now this is the future." he said while pointing to the circle. "And this are all the possible events." he said pointing to the dust. "Yhwach's power is to see every single one of these possibilities and by selecting the ones which would benefit him, create the future that he desires." he said as he grabbed some of the dust and placed it on the circle

Bambietta was now more shocked than ever. Such an incredibly powerful, yet dangerous ability. "If this is true, then what need does Yhwach have for the sternritter?" she asked

"**Tell her that the sternritters were to protect him in the event the soul society finds out about the wandenreich and attacked. Other than that, the sternritters serve no purpose. Do not tell her about Yhwach's plan just yet."**

At White's instruction, Ichigo answered. "As protection. You and I know that one thousand years ago, Yhwach was defeated but not killed. Should the soul reapers find outwhere he is and attacked, the sternritters were there to provide protection for him. Outside of this, the sternritters serve no other purpose."

Bambietta's eyes narrowed at this. She didn't wanna believe it but the fact still stands, what need would someone with this kind of power for an army. "How do you know of all this?" she asked, unknowingly showing an expression of doubt

Perfect. This is exactly what White was waiting for. "**Reveal who you are Ichigo. We'll take care of the rest."**

Deciding to trust his word, Ichigo took of his mask which shocked Bambietta again. "Hello Bambietta. I guess we finally meet for real."

"You. Ichigo Kurosaki." Bambietta said and now she was pissed off. "How exactly do you know of all this Ichigo?" she asked suspiciously

"My zanpakuto, Zangetsu told me." Ichigo said while scratching the back of his head

"And how would he know that?" Bambietta asked

Ichigo then grabbed both of his swords which put Bambietta on alert. To her surprise though, Ichigo simply stabbed both of them on the ground. Out of his trench knife, a man in a cloak soon appeared which completely shocked Bambietta. "_Hello Bambietta_." the old man greeted

"Your majesty?" Bambietta asked in uncertainty. 'Since when was he Ichigo's zanpakuto?' she thought to herself

"_No. I am not Yhwach. I am the manifestation of Ichigo's quincy powers. I am also not Zangetsu, he is."_ the old man said while gesturing to the khyber knife

At this, someone manifested from the sword. A pale version of Ichigo who's hair reached down to his waist along with black horns on the side of his head and unlike Ichigo, this one had black and golden eyes. "**So, you're Bambietta huh?"** Zangetsu greeted her

Seeing him made Bambietta's blood run cold. There are only a few things which she was afraid of. Being turned into a zombie by Giselle or being executed by Yhwach or Haschwalth among other things. She thought that outside of these two, nothing could scare her. She was dead wrong. This wasn't just fear. It was absolute terror. Zangetsu's mere presence made her feel afraid, more so than she ever did in her life. "Who or what are you?" she finally asked after being silent out of pure fear

"**You were already told. I am Zangetsu. Yes I am both Ichigo's inner hollow and his zanpakuto."** Zangetsu said

_"And I am the manifestation of Ichigo's quincy powers. Because of Yhwach's blood that courses through all quincies, I take on the form of Yhwach."_the old man said

"So you have all of his majesty's knowledge?" Bambietta asked

_"Most of it but not all. The reason for this is quite simple. All quincies are linked together, Yhwach included. Because of this link, I know most of what Yhwach knows except for those he truly wants hidden."_the old man asnwered

"In that case, let me ask. What exactly is his majesty planning to do?" Bambietta asked

Ichigo knew that his inner spirits were gonna answer her. While he had doubts about it, he decided to let them do their thing. The two seemed to know what they were doing

_"He plans to merge all of the worlds. The resulting merge would then render everyone in it unable to die unless they are delibirately killed."_the old man answered

"**Don't even think about supporting this Bambietta. When the worlds are merged, everyone in it would die, including you and the other quincies." **Zangetsu said which made Bambietta's eyes widen in shock

"So he really has no need for the sternritters?" Bambietta muttered sadly to which both of Ichigo's inner spirits nodded. "Hey Ichigo, does the soul society know about this?"

"They don't. I'm no longer affiliated with them. I'm on my own now." Ichigo answered

Bambietta just sadly looked at the sky upon hearing this. As a quincy, she didn't want to believe it but her mind told her otherwise

"**Do not tell anyone about Ichigo having powers, or else."** Zangetsu coldy said which made Bambietta more afraid than she already was, much to the surprise of Ichigo

"So what am I supposed to do?" Bambietta asked sternly despite the obvious fear in her eyes

"**Tell the wandenreich that Ichigo has no powers. Pretend that nothing happened. Ichigo is gonna keep quiet about this and there is nobody around so unless you tell anyone , no one will ever know. If we were wrong about Yhwach and he does not kill everyone, you will still have a home of your own. If we were right, then at least you will have an ally that can take on Yhwach. But don't reveal that you told anyone about the wandenreich until you're absolutely sure that Yhwach was wrong." **Zangetsu told her

"And how exactly am I supposed to know what his majesty is gonna do?" Bambietta asked suspiciously

"**Give it time. You don't appear to be stupid so you should be able to tell if something is off. When you do, make your choice on whether or not you become Ichigo's enemy or not. Either way, you have nothing to lose so just play along on both sides."** Zangetsu answered

Bambietta pondered about this for a bit. She souldn't really think that straight with her blood running cold. "So I take it you know how to avoid the almighty?" she finally asked

_"Yes we do."_ the old man answered

"Well, I hope you're right about this." Bambietta sighed. She wanted to ask about how to avoid the almighty but ultimately, just didn't bother. She then realized something. "Won't his majesty know about this conversation using the almighty?"

_"He will not. The almighty only sees the present and future possibilities. It has no influence on the past whatsoever. At the moment, Yhwach is unable to use the almighty for if he does, all sternritters would lose their powers and at this moment, Yhwach still has not regained all the powers he had one thousand years ago."_ the old man answered

"That's good to know." Bambietta said with a sigh, worried about what the future will bring now

"**Don't worry about it. If Ichigo fails to stop Yhwach then all of us are gonna be dead either way." **Zangetsu said with a massive grin which unnerved Bambietta

"What?!" Ichigo and Bambietta yelled in unison

"**Calm down. I was only kidding for crying out loud."** Zangetsu said even though he wasn't kidding at all to which both Bambietta and Ichigo glared at him

"Ichigo, don't tell anyone about me okay?" Bambietta said after a while of glaring

"Of course I won't. Just don't tell anyone about me either." Ichigo said

"Yeah alright." Bambietta said

"**A word of advice though, be very careful when you return to the wandenreich. This Haschwalth guy might have you killed if he suspects that you revealed their existence. Even if it doesn't happen, well, better to be safe than sorry."** Zangetsu said

"Alright. Thanks for the heads up." Bambietta said gratefully

The two of them then went home not long after their little chat

With Bambietta

'Was he right? Does Yhwach actually have no need for us?' she thought as she walked back to her house. She was still pretty shaken after that encounter with Zangetsu. That hollow's mere presence really puts fear in everyone around. 'So as long as I don't tell anyone about this, I will be safe. If not, then I have an ally. Still, can't think of any reason why someone with that kind of power would need anyone's help. Why bother, at least if I play along on both sides, I will be safe.'

-The Royal Palace-

Every member of squad zero has been called for a meeting in the soul king's chamber. As this never happened before, what this was about none of them knew but they'll soon find out

* * *

**Here is the next one. It is nearly twice as long as my usual chapters. I decided not to split this into two chapters. And no, I won't be shipping Ichigo with Bambietta. I am not a fan of shipping any characters on any non romance anime. Also, I'm sure you know which ones I'm talking about when I said 'stupid comic books'. For the next chapters, I can't be sure it will be as long as this one but it will definitely be as long as the recent previous ones. Hope you enjoyed this**


	34. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Three - On Edge**

Five Days Later

Things have been surprisingly quiet in the last few days. Since the ambush, the soul society hasn't really done anything to hunt for the man who killed a lieutenant and nearly killed two captains. This did make Ichigo wonder just what was going on with them

Ichigo was at school and it was lunch time. Since he had nothing else to do, he went to the rooftop of the school to just enjoy the view from up there. Bambietta soon approached him as she herself went to the rooftop

"Hey Ichigo." Bambi called out

"What is it Bambi?" Ichigo asked

"I've been thinking about what you said a few days ago. There's something about it than concerns me." Bambi said. Ichigo just remained silent, waiting for her to continue. "It's my friend Candice. She might become my enemy if I join up with you."

"That is a problem." Ichigo said thoughtfully

"Seriously? That's all you're gonna say?" Bambi asked, pissed off

"Honestly, I'm not really sure. The only thing I can say is hope that she trusts you enough to trust your decision. Unless of course she is that loyal to Yhwach." Ichigo said

"Now that you mention it, that would be unlikely." Bambi said

"Why is that?" Ichigo asked

"Most of us who joined up with the wandenreich isn't because we wanted to serve our king. We only joined because there was no other place we could go. The soul reapers aren't gonna take kindly to our existence and none of us can take them all on alone." Bambi explained

"Well in that case, if Yhwach really does betray you guys, then your friend Candice should have no trouble to join up with you." Ichigo said

"Me? Don't you mean us?" Bambi asked

"No. That was only a one time deal. Sure I will be your ally should you choose to but I'm not gonna go around and gathering followers or something. I only want to kill Yhwach, nothing more, nothing less." Ichigo answered

"So you're not gonna involve yourself in the war?" Bambi asked

"Depends. I'm only gonna attack when Yhwach leasts expects it. To be honest, I'm actually hoping you guys slaughter the soul society so I don't have anything to worry about." Ichigo said

"Are you really Ichigo Kurosaki?" Bambi asked

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo asked with a narrowed gaze

"Well, I thought that the soul society was your allies or something. And now that you mention it, why did you attack them that day? Aren't they your friends?" Bambi asked

"Not anymore. Let's just say that when they thought I lost my powers, they revealed their true colors. I'm no longer the same person I once was." Ichigo answered

"What about your father or Kisuke?" Bambi asked

"I'm not sure. Do I look like Aizen to you that can plan for like, twelve hundred scenarios all at once?" Ichigo asked in an annoyed tone

"Nope. Just wondering if you know what you're doing." Bambi said

"Don't worry about it." Ichigo answered. "So when are you guys gonna attack the soul society?"

"In a few months. About nine or ten months from now." Bambi answered

Before their conversation could continue, the door towards the rooftop suddenly slammed open. "WHATTTTTT?!" Keigo suddenly yelled out as he saw the two. "Ichigo is taking a girl on a romantic date on the rooftop during school hours? You're so lucky Ichi..."

Annoyed by this, Ichigo kicked him back into the stairwell and caused to fall down. "Damn pest. The hell is wrong with you anyway?"

Bambietta was annoyed and embarrassed by it too but before she could do anything, Ichigo already kicked Keigo

"It is rather of a surprise though Ichigo." Mizuiro said as he came out of the stairwell. "I never thought you would actually go on a date with someone in school."

"Do we look like we're dating to you?" Bambi said in an annoyed tone

"Well yeah, you actually do." Mizuiro said honestly

"Does it really have to be a date just when two classmates are hanging out?" Ichigo asked, annoyed

"It does send that message Ichigo." Mizuiro answered

"Well, we're not dating alright. We just happened to run into each other up here." Bambi said with a deadly glare at Mizuiro

"Yeah okay. I'm not one to judge if you two are dating or not." Mizuiro said which ticked off Ichigo and Bambi again. "Anyway, let's go back. Class will start at any minute now."

The three then went back to the classroom with Mizuiro picking up Keigo on the way

Later that evening

Ichigo was training in his inner world when he suddenly felt a spike in spiritual pressure albeit it was very brief. What was sure though is that only Ichigo felt it. He immediately left his house and went to investigate the cause and ended up in the Karakura Town park. In his haste, he forgot to go invisible

'What? There's nobody here?' Ichigo thought to himself when he arrived in the park

"Ichigo Kurosaki, right?" a voice called out

Ichigo immediately turned around and saw a soul reaper captain, although he did not recognize him. It was a baldy captain with a massive beard and a large set of prayer beads around his neck

"Who are you? And how do you know who I am?" Ichigo suspiciously asked as he grabbed hold of both of his blades

Surprisingly, the captain did not seem fazed at all and remained calm as Ichigo glared him down with blades ready to attack at any moment. "No need to be on alarm Ichigo. I am Ichibe Hyosube." the captain said in glee

"Ichibe Hyosube? The leader of the royal guard?" Ichigo asked as he took off his mask

Ichibe merely raised his eyes at this while still remaining calm. "You know about me?"

"I have my sources." Ichigo responded simply

"Yes. Your zanpakuto and your quincy manifestation, am I right?" Ichibe asked

"How do you know that?" Ichigo suspisciously asked as he got into a fighting stance

"I am a member and the leader of the royal guard, Ichigo. Us in the royal palace know just about everything there is to know. Including who and what you are." Ichibe responded seriously. At this Ichigo went on alert even more and was about to attack before Ichibe spoke again. "I am not here to judge you Ichigo nor am I here to harm you. I came here with orders from the soul king himself."

"The hell does he want with me?" Ichigo asked. "Arrest me for going against the soul society or something?"

"No no. Nothing like that. In fact, he wants us to help you." Ichibe answered seriously

"Help me? Why?" Ichigo asked once more, now more suspicious than ever

"You may think of us as part of the soul society but we are not. Yes we are soul reapers but our jurisdiction is only the royal palace. We have no say whatsoever in the decisions made by the thirteen court guard squads. Only the soul king himself has authority to overrule any decision made by central forty six." Ichibe explained

"Then why are you here?" Ichigo asked

"To take you to the royal palace. In all honesty Ichigo, the thirteen court guard squads got what was coming to them." Ichibe said

"And why should I trust you? For all I know you just want to bring me there and ambush me." Ichigo asked

"Because we have a common enemy." Ichibe responded

"Yhwach." Ichigo muttered

"That's right and Yhwach could return at any moment." Ichibe answered in a rather honest tone

'What do you guys think?' Ichigo asked his inner spirits

"**I don't trust him." **

"_I do not as well."_

"Sorry, but unless you show me something that I can trust, I'm not gonna go with you." Ichigo said before scanning the nearby area, making sure nobody was there. "But I will give you a chance to do so. If you really are, tell me something that only the royal guard would know."

This made Ichibe frown as he knew he had to reveal at least one secret to get Ichigo's attention. "There are five of us who make up the royal guard. I am its leader and the soul king himself is the one who handpicked its four other members. Each of us were chosen for because of a specific contribution to the soul society. Oetsu Nimaiya, the one who created the zanpakuto, Tenjiro Kirini, healing hot springs similar to what Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin have, Kirio Hikifune for creating the basis of the artificial souls and Senjumaru Shutara who created a device known as 'Shutara Scale', which is how the soul society detects and determine the level of threat they are facing. She is also the one responsible for designing all the soul reaper's clothing, including the captain's coat. For myself, I am the one who named everything. From the zanpakuto, to shikai and the bankai."

At this, Ichigo just stared at Ichibe, trying to think about the situation. 'The details of the royal guard?' Ichigo internally asked

"**I still don't trust him but this does make a compelling case."**

**'**Why?'

_"Even among the thirteen court guard squads, only the head captain would know about all of this. Yes most, if not, all captains know when one of their own join the royal guard but only the head captain would know the details."_

'So what's the verdict? If what he says is true and he knows just about everything, he should be aware the I can pass this information to Bambietta. He is seriously putting a lot of trust in me to share that information.'

"**In that case, ask him what he knows about Yhwach."**

**'**Alright.' Ichigo answered before asking Ichibe. "You are aware that a sternritter is an associate of mine right?"

"I am. This is a sign that I trust you with this information despite you being a rogue now." Ichibe answered

"Alright then. I have one more question before I go with you." Ichigo said to which Ichibe just waited for him to continue. "What do you know about Yhwach?"

"One thousand years ago, the soul reapers and the quincy were at war with each other. Yamamoto and I nearly killed Yhwach during the height of the war and forced the quincies into hiding. Since then we have searched for them but we have never found them. I know that you know where they are and how to enter their stronghold." Ichibe said which surprised Ichigo. "But, whether you tell me or not is up to you and I will not force the answer out of you."

'Guess he really wants me to go with him.'

"**He does. Just be on high alert. If I get suspicious when we arrive at the royal palace, let me take over. I'll tear the place down and rip apart both the wandenreich and the soul society."**

'So much for trying to just go for the ambush against Yhwach. I thought I hadn't mastered all my powers yet.'

"**That's you. I am a different story. I know how to use all of my powers Ichigo. I am your zanpakuto after all so it's only natural that I know it. Since I am also your hollow, I don't need to train with you to get stronger since I just learn it instinctually."**

"Okay then Ichibe. I'll go with you." Ichigo said with a dangerous glare, something that did not unnoticed

"Alright let's go." Ichibe said jovially. "Grab my hand." he said while holding out his hand to which a confused Ichigo grabbed hold. After a few minutes, a poof soon happened and they were in the royal palace

-The Royal Palace-

"What? How did we get here?" Ichigo asked in a confused tone

"The chokaimon or super world gate. By setting a set amount of time from one's departure from the royal palace, that person will be forced back into the royal palace and bringing anyone of his choosing." Ichibe explained

"So when you left this place, you intended to get back here in an hour or so whether I agreed or not?" Ichigo asked

"Yes exactly." Ichibe answered

"I thought you couldn't enter this place without the royal key or something?" Ichigo asked as he observed the surroundings, noticing five floating discs with a giant cocoon in the middle

"It is this." Ichibe said while pulling up the sleeve on one of his arms. "The royal key refers to the very bones of the members of squad zero. When we are chosen for the positon, our bones are transformed to contain the powers of the royal key. So there are two ways to enter the royal palace, either by our permission or by creating a royal key."

"By creating a royal key, you mean creating you yourself?" Ichigo asked with a raised brow

"Not exactly. What Aizen was trying to do was to create a copy of our very bones. If he succeeded, he would have had entry into this place." a voice said, coming from one of the four people who approached them. It beloned to someone who had multiple robotic arms of some sort. "You must be Ichigo Kurosaki, am I right?"

"I am. Who are you?" Ichigo asked

"I am the great weave guard, Senjumaru Shutara." she answered before her other colleagues introduced themselves

Once the introductions were over, Tenjiro spoke. "So this is the kid that's gonna help us fight Yhwach?"

"Yes he is." Ichibe simply answered

"Let me make one thing clear to all of you." Ichigo spoke which caught everyone attention. "I will not help you in the war against the quincies. Yes I have a personnal vendetta against Yhwach and I am his enemy. However, I will fight him on my own terms and on my own time."

This ticked off Tenjiro. "Yeah right. You're not gonna help us? The hell did you even come here for? You think we just invited you to have a picnic or some..." he yelled before he was suddenly slapped in the head by Kirio

"Shut up Tenjiro." Kirio said as Tenjiro was slapped away. "I apologize for that Ichigo Kurosaki." she told Ichigo who was watching the whole scene with a raised eye in amusement which did not go unnoticed

"So what did you bring me here for Ichibe?" Ichigo asked

"Well, to be honest, the royal guard has been ordered by the soul king himself to train you." Ichibe answered

"What? Train me? I can do that on my own you know." Ichigo said and getting suspicious once more

"Well, just see what we have to offer alright? Yes you can train on your own but we can help speed up the process." Ichibe said with a thoughtful expression, trying to find the words to describe their methods. "You know what, I won't tell you about how we do things. Why don't we just show you so you can see for yourself?"

Ichigo simply looked at Ichibe, trying to find out what exactly were these royal guard members were trying to do. 'What do you think?'

"**I'm honestly wondering if they really are the royal guard. I thought the thirteen court guard squads were weird."**

_"Just play along Ichigo. They seem to be rather honest and Ichibe gives off a friendly vibe unlike the captains of the court guard squads."_

"Alright then Ichibe. But I still stand by what I said earlier." Ichigo said

"That is alright Ichigo." Senjumaru spoke up from behind him, which caused him to turn around. "We already expected as much. To be perfectly honest, I am actually surprised you accepted Ichibe's offer. We cannot blame you for being distrustful of the soul society or any soul reapers for that matter given what they were planning to do to you."

"How do you even know about that anyway?" Ichigo curiously asked

"Is because of the soul king's power Ichigo." Nimaiya spoke up in a singing voice which made Ichigo sweatdrop

"The soul king's power?" Ichigo asked. 'Now I'm wondering too if they really are the royal guard.'

"You know about the almighty don't you?" Nimaiya said seriously which caused Ichigo to simply stare at him. "The soul king has a similar power to that. To be more accurate, he has that same power but unlike Yhwach it has no blindspots. Yhwach's almighty cannot affect see anything that concerns the soul king himself."

"Here I thought one user of that power was creepy enough." Ichigo sighed. "So now what?"

"Well, normally we would send visitor's over to Kirniji's place to heal up but since you are not injured, you will come with me instead." Kirio said as she walked to a certain spot. "Come here Ichigo." she said, motioning for Ichigo to stand beside her

Ichigo followed her and just stood there, waiting for something to happen. "We're standing here because?"

"Well, don't move or you'll die." Nimaiya said as he got a hammer

"What?" Ichigo asked but before he can be answered, Nimaiya swung down the hammer and both him and Kirio we're sent flying to the air

Soon enough, they landed in one of the discs. Kirio landed rather gracefully while Ichigo was slammed against the wall. It didn't hurt him but it really ticked him off. "Are you guys trying to kill me or something?" Ichigo asked Kirio in a dangerous tone

Kirio just laughed and this got Ichigo confused and more irritated. "Oh calm down Ichigo. You're much too serious. Come inside." she said as she walked inside her palace, which Ichigo didn't notice in his rage

Ichigo only then noticed that he was standing on the doorway towards a palace. He was still furious about what just happened but ultimately decided to go inside. He swore if this was a trap, there would be hell to pay for the royal guard. When he was inside, he was shocked like hell. There was a massive buffet right in front of him. It all looked delicious but Ichigo knew better than to just dig in

"Why haven't you eaten it yet?" Kirio asked as she exited from one of the doors

"Am I really to believe that this food was made for me and that it's free?" Ichigo asked her with a raised eyebrow

"So you don't think that this is for your you?" Kirio curiously asked

"Sorry. Not really in a trusting mood these days." Ichigo said with a serious expression

Kirio just sighed at this. This kid was a really tough nut to crack. "Ichigo, come take a bite at this food."

"Why would I? How do I know those aren't poisoned or filled with mind control stuff?" Ichigo asked

"Because it isn't. As we have told you, the royal guard has been ordered to help you. We had numerous opportunities to kill you. We are aware you have not perfected your pesquisa yet and as such, we can hide our spirit energies from being detected since we are aware of this ability. Yes once you have mastered it, no one can hide from you but for now, some can, namely us. Ichibe could have also killed you when you had your back turned but he chose to make himself known." Kirio responded with a stern face

"**She has a point Ichigo."**

"So what's this food for then? I doubt someone would all of this just to feed someone who isn't even hungry at the moment?" Ichigo asked

"Try it." Kirio said before eating a bunch of it herself, proving to Ichigo that it wasn't poison although Ichigo remained skeptical

Deciding to give in, Ichigo tried one bite of a chicken from the table. When he ate it, he suddenly felt it was easier to focus his powers

_"Now this is rather strange. Your spirit energy became much smoother when you ate it yet there are no signs of alterations of any kind."_

'So you're saying everything is normal except for my smoother spirit energy?'

_"Exactly. it is almost as if the food itself was made to enhance one's spirit energy or rather, to make it easier to use."_

"You can feel it can't you?" Kirio asked when she noticed Ichigo

"What is this food?" Ichigo asked

Kirio smiled at this. "It's similar to how the gikongan or as you know it, mod souls, are made. However, instead of ot having a soul, it instead has spirit energy. Basically it refreshes a person's spirit energy. Usually, this is meant to be used on people who are injured or just recovered so that the time they need to recover their spirit energy will be cut. In your case, since your spirit energy is rigid due to lack of training, this food allows you to bypass the part where you have to train to control it. This way, you won't have to train to control it. Yes your spiritual pressure cannot be sensed under normal circumstances but it is still possible that someone can sense it if you slip up because of a lack of training." she explained

Ichigo felt at ease upon hearing this. It seems that the royal guard really were serious about helping him. Still, his insticts told him to be careful. "Thanks a lot for this, Kirio."

"Don't mention it Ichigo. To be honest, I would reprimand the thirteen court guard squads for what they were planning but that is just out of my jurisdiction." Kirio said with a smile. "Eat as much as you want Ichigo, then you can proceed to the next palace."

Ichigo wondered what this meant but chose not to ask. He realized Kirio's job was for him to replenish his spirit energy, in a way. Soon enough, he was sent to the next palace in the same exact method used to come to this one. Although this time, he did make a decent landing

"Nobody's here. The hell am I doing here?" Ichigo wondered as he was looking around. "Hello?" he yelled out. Since nobody answered, Ichigo decided to just leave and prepared to open a garganta. Before he could

"Welcome to my showwwwww!" a voice suddenly called out to which Ichigo recognized as Nimaiya's

'This guy's an idiot.' Ichigo thought when he saw that Nimaiya was doing some stupid poses

"What's wrong Ichigo? I can't help you if you're not doing what I'm doing." Nimaiya whined out

"What the hell are you doing?" Ichigo asked in an annoyed tone

"Come on. Do what I'm do..." Nimaiya called out before he was violently kicked down by a red haired girl

"Just shut up already." the girl yelled furiously. "Stop wasting the time of your guest you idiot."

"Come on Mera. That was cruel." Nimaiya whined sadly

"Whatever. You're Ichigo right?" Mera said to which Ichigo nodded. "Alright come with me. If you leave things to master, nothing is ever gonna get done in this place." she said and went inside the palace. "You can place your sword over there." she said and motioned to a nearby rack. Ichigo simply did it since White already taught him how to summon his zanpakuto with a simple gesture

Inside though, Ichigo was rather shocked. It appeared to be a cliff of some sort with a small shack at the end. "What is this place?" Ichigo asked

"Where we make the zanpakutos." Nimaiya answered as he finally caught up with the duo while Mera went to take care of some stuff

"You're lying." Ichigo said with a narrowed gaze which surprised him. "A zanpakuto is born inside with its soul reaper. There is no way a soul reaper can just create a zanpakuto for someone."

"Well, to be honest that is only half true." Nimaiya said seriously, which made Ichigo raise an eyebrow in wonder at what he meant. "Yes, a zanpakuto is born with its soul reaper, but that is only the zanpakuto spirit. To wield the powers of a zanpakuto, the zapakuto must have a conduit so to speak, in which it can manifest its powers. However, an ordinary sword is not fit for the powers of a zanpakuto. As such, a special sword is required in order to utilize the power of the zanpakuto and that is what I create. A sword known as the 'asauchi'. The ultimate zanpakuto, with the power to become anything." he said as he opened the shack and revealed pit inside

"I see. So what's down there?" Ichigo asked as he approached Nimaiya

"A pit where the asauchi stays. It is where I store them before handing them out to the soul reapers in training for the thirteen court guard squads. All soul reapers except one, are given an asauchi. Throughout their training, they get to know the names of their zanpakuto. When that happens, the asauchi then becomes the vessel for the zanpakuto to use its powers outside of the soul reaper's inner world." Nimaiya explained

"You said except one?" Ichigo asked

"Yes. That one is you Ichigo." Nimaiya answered which confused Ichigo. "Your zanpakuto was made using quincy reishi manipulation Ichigo. Yes it has the powers and qualities of a zanpakuto but in truth, it is not a real one."

"So you're saying the swords I have been wielding thus far were fakes? I don't think so otherwise I wouldn't have been able to use Zangetsu's powers at all." Ichigo responded

"Very perceptive of you Ichigo. But it is the truth. The fact is, your quincy manifestion and Zangetsu are the same being. You and I know this. When your sword was created, your quincy manifestaion used his powers to create a sword for you. It was just an ordinary sword and Zangetsu used his powers to allow you to wield it like a true zanpakuto. For you see, you're not a normal soul reaper and as such, most things that would be considered as normal, does not apply to you and that includes this matter." Nimaiya explained

'Is that true?' Ichigo asked his inner spirits

_"It is true Ichigo. It was the only way for you to use your powers."_

'Why didn't you tell me this?'

"**Would it really matter if you knew or not?"**

**'**I guess not.' Ichigo answered before looking at Nimaiya. "Let me guess, you're gonna give me an asauchi then?"

"That's right." Nimaiya said as he walked to the rack and grabbed both Zangetsu blades. He then smashed it on the ground in an attempt to break it but nothing happened. In face, the ground just got sliced up much to Ichigo's amusement. Nimaiya tried to break it a few more times to no success which made Ichigo laugh. After ten more minutes of trying, it finally broke. "Damn. That was one hell of a sword."

"Mind telling me why you were so desperate to break that one and replace it with an asauchi?" Ichigo asked Nimaiya, who was panting for breath

After a while, Nimaiya finally regained his breath and spoke. "You have already been to Kirio's palace right? Once you get an asauchi, you will then feel the difference between your reishi zanpakuto and an actual zanpakuto." he explained before motioning inside of the shack. "Step inside the pit Ichigo. If you can get the asauchi to accept you, I will reforge Zangetsu as an actual zanpakuto this time."

Ichigo did as he was told and stepped inside the pit. Inside, he heard a lot of random noises around him and soon enough some men with identical looks and faces appeared. 'These must be the asauchi.' he thought to himself and he soon realized that he was surrounded by them. Not at all intimidated, Ichigo approached the ones to his left and much to Nimaiya's shock, all of them in that group kneeled before Ichigo. He then reached out his hand and one of the asauchis accepted it. "It's you, Zangetsu." he said as they held hands. The asauchi then transformed into Ichigo's physique except its head looked like a skull. It also had a black and red cloak with black horns coming out the side of its head. Unlike White's this one had black hair which was in direct contrast to its body which had a pale color. Ichigo realized that this must be the true form of when both his inner spirits merged, similar to when he was training in the precipice world

"Very good Ichigo, now follow me. It's time to forge Zangetsu." Nimaiya said to which Ichigo followed. Much to Ichigo's shock, the two of them went down a water slide and into a pool down below. Now Ichigo was really surprised. Beneath the palace entrance lies a massive cave, if it can even be called that, with a massive pool of water. On the edge appeared to be where Nimaiya was gonna forge the zanpakuto. Nimaiya and his helpers, which were other zanpakutos, then did their thing. When they were finished, Ichigo was instructed to pull it out and when he did, the entire pool of water evaporated from Zangetsu's sheer power. This did surprise Nimaiya as well as he doubted even Ichibe's own zanpakuto could do something like this. "Alright Ichigo. Try using a few techniques with it."

Ichigo did as was instructed and sent a wave of flames out. Just like how his spirit energy was now smoother, so was using the powers of Zangetsu. "Pretty isn't it? Now go on. It's time for you to visit Senjumaru's place." Nimaiya said and sent Ichigo on his way

When he arrived at the next palace, he found Senjumaru waiting for him at the entrance. "Hello Ichigo. Welcome to my palace." she greeted with a smile to which Ichigo returned. "Come inside." she said and entered the place

"WHATTTTTTT!" Ichigo practically yelled out. "What the hell do you mean remove all my clothing?! You said you were only gonna take my measurements for some new clothes. Why do I have to strip naked for it?!" he demanded to know

"Just do it Ichigo. My measurements need to be absolutely precise." Senjumaru retorted

"No way in hell I'm gonna do it!" Ichigo objected which ticked off Senjurmaru

Senjumaru put one of her robotic arms into her chin and adopted a thoughtful expression. "Fine, have it your way. I will rip off your most precious organ before taking your measurements."

Ichigo panicked at this and was too embarrassed to say anything logical. "Alright alright. I'll strip." he practically yelled out. While he was doing so, he could practically feel White just laughing at his predicament

"**To think he would be so embarrassed that he lost all sense that not ten minutes ago, he was suspicious of these guys."** White said as he laughed out loud

_"Indeed. That Senjumaru really knows how to make people submit."_ old man Zangetsu said with a small smile himself

A few minutes of embarrasment later, Ichigo finally left the dreaded palace of Senjumaru and was sent on his way towards Ichibe's palace. When he arrived, he saw Ichibe just meditating in one of the benches. "So Ichigo, ready to begin training?" he asked as he approached

"I'm not so sure. This training will take quite a while right? I have already spent some time here and everyone might get suspicious if I don't get back soon. " Ichigo said with uncertainty

"Don't worry about that young one. In the training grounds, there is a part where time flows slower than it usually does. So when you train there for, shall we say three days, only three hours would have passed in the real world." Ichibe said happily

"So it's the opposite of when I was in the precipice world?" Ichigo asked

"Exactly." Ichibe said as he motioned to go inside

Despite not being comfortable around the royal guard, Ichigo did find their company more tolerable the the damned thirteen court guard squads. Even his inner spirits said that their vibes were friendlier than court guard squads. Ichigo then followed Ichibe inside

Three hours later

Ichigo finally finished training and along with the royal guard, were at the entrance. During that period, Ichigo learned a bit of his true hollowfication as well as finally mastered all of his shikai's techniques. Including his version of the getsuga called 'Getsuga Jujisho'. The only thing that was left for Ichigo to learn now was his quincy powers and the powers of his bankai. Ichibe really had a way of teaching that made it quick to understand. Although his inner spirits did tell him during training that he had an easier time here because the reishi concentration is higher than in the world of the living

As Ichigo prepared a garganta to go home. "Not so fast Ichigo." Senjumaru called out

This made Ichigo shiver as memories from her palace were still fresh. "What is it?"

Instead of answering, Senjumaru handed him a bag. He opened what's inside and saw a bunch of clothes which surprised him. "You didn't think I did that for fun did you?" she said teasingly which made Ichigo red in embarrassment

"Alright. Thanks for this you guys." Ichigo said as he opened a garganta and waved them goodbye. "And don't tell anyone about me okay?"

"We won't Ichigo." Kirio said as she waved back at Ichigo

"Hey old man." Tenjiro said once the garganta was closed. "You sure this was a good idea?"

"That depends on what we do Tenjiro. We all know what his true powers are. Do you really want to be on the receiving end of it?" Kirio said which surpised everyone

"She has a point." Ichibe said. "Ichigo may be a rogue and unpredictable, but his goal aligns with ours. While not exactly the same, it produces similar results. In the end, Ichigo is better off as our ally than our enemy. Plus, because of his quincy manifestation, Ichigo probably knows many secrets, maybe even more so than us since it goes without saying that Yhwach knows more than us."

"What about the seireitei then?" Tenjiro asked

"That is their problem to deal with. They actively chose to turn an ally into an enemy and should bear the consequences of that action." Senjumaru said which made Tenjiro frown. He wanted to complain but he knew he couldn't as she had a good point

"Indeed. Ichigo has put some trust in us. Yes he is still a bit skeptical but that's only natural. We do not want to break Ichigo's trust. As such, we won't tell anyone about him. Not even the thirteen court guard squads." Ichibe said seriously

With Ichigo

Ichigo finally arrived home and when he checked the clock, he realized Ichibe wasn't lying. It was still just about five in the morning and when he checked the date, he wasn't gone for a few days and only a few hours, to his relief. Instead of going to rest, he instead went to the other side of town and carefully inspected the clothes given to him by Senjumaru, ensuring that there wasn't a trap of some kind on it

'It appears to be normal enough. You guys see something that I don't?'

_"Put out your palm Ichigo and have it touch the center of the clothes."_

Ichigo did that for a few seconds before pulling away. 'So?'

_"These clothes are normal Ichigo. There is no trap of any kind on it."_

'So the reishi on this thing is normal?'

_"Yes. I used my powers to check of alterations of any kind and there were none. Since everything in the spiritual world is made of reishi and quincies manipulate it, a quincy can determine if their surroundings have been tampered with. I used my powers just now to check the clothes and they are normal__.__"_

'Alright then.' Ichigo said and finally got a good look at them. It was the same color as his current clothes, which were camouflage. It also had a hood and a mask to hide his identity. What was really cool about it is that it reminded him of his previous bankai robes but instead of a half skirt, it was now split in three and the front was held with three x shaped straps in the center. It also had an undershirt which was crimson in color. His pants were also camouflage in color and appeared to be track pants as well. It also had a pair of gloves with crimson x shaped straps that connect it to its sleeve. When he touched the fabric of both his new clothes, they were really high quality. Much higher than what he was currently wearing. 'By the way, I've been meaning to ask. Ichibe also had the powers of darkness. How does it compare to mine?'

"**His powers are nothing compared to yours Ichigo. In fact, it won't affect you at all."**

'What do you mean?'

"**His powers only allow him to manipulate the darkness while your completely subjugates it. Your powers also have another innate ability Ichigo. Aside from only affecting those you consider as your enemy, it also renders any darkness type attack targetted at you useless. At the same time, this very same innate ability also allows you to launch your attacks from any shadow in your area. Think of it like this, Ichibe merely adopted the dark to his powers while you were born in it."**

**'**I see. So his powers won't affect me then?'

_"That is correct Ichigo."_

'So how come my powers work differently from the others anyway?' Ichigo asked as he headed back home

"**Because you're not normal. You see Ichigo, you have no unique hollow or quincy powers. The only thing that you can do are the shared powers like cero or the blut. The reason for this is the different forms that your darkness takes is an effect of your quincy powers while the different effects and innate abilities are because of your hollow powers."**

**"**_Remember Ichigo, he and I are one and the same, we just prefer to take different bodies. Because we are one being, it stands to reason that your powers are also merged but containing qualities of all three races."_

'What about my soul reaper powers?'

"**That one is the default effects and form of your powers. For example, when your flames petrify, that is an effect of your hollow side while when you have it turn into different objects, it represents how quincies manipulate reishi."**

'I get it now. So what is the difference between the getsuga tensho and the getsuga jujisho anyway?'

"**For starters, getsuga tensho is only an enhanced sword slash. Jujisho on the other hand, is the definition of unpredictability. There is a reason this is your shikai's ultimate attack. For starters, unlike the getsuga tensho, Jujisho is always a cresent. Whether you release it as a single cresent or a cross shaped one is up to you and you can launch it from one or both blades. The second is, should you want to, Jujisho can carry the other effects of your abilities, although it only use one effect at the time. So for example, when you use it, instead of it being a simple sword slash, it will bind your target, burn them and slash them at the same time."**

**'**How is that any different from my inferno and summoning techniques?'

"**Because you can use your blut to enhance the strikes when you learn it. And unlike those two, you can even have it turn into an explosive slash if your haunted veil is up. It also has the advantage of a surprise factor. Since it looks exactly the same as a getsuga tensho except it's black, your opponents will assume it's the exact same technique."**

**'**Wow. So that means, until I reveal it, no one will know what it is?'

"**Exactly."**

**'**Now I'm really looking forwad to learning this thing.' he asked as he finally got home and perpared to go back inside his body

_"Before you go back to your body, Ichigo. Try sealing your zanpakuto since you finally have a real one."_

'How do I do that?'

_"When a zanpakuto is in its shikai or bankai state, it's concentration of spirit energy is higher than when it is sealed. So, all you have to do is drain the spirit energy and it will revert to its sealed state."_

**"Before you do so Ichigo, you need to decide on what effect your flames will take."**

**'**Why?'

"_Because unlike most other zanpakuto, you can use two of your techniques while it is in its sealed state, namely your inferno and your getsuga. However, you can only choose one of its two effects, either petrify or burn and the getsuga will only be an enhanced sword slash like the getsuga tensho. This will last until you release your shikai again, in which case you will need to focus once more on what you want to happen to your unfortunate victim_**."**

Ichigo thought about this for a moment and ultimately chose petrify. He figured if he turned something to stone, he can simply destroy it, or just release his shikai and burn it. Ichigo then drained the spirit energy from his blades and they soon reverted to a simple katana. However, unlike other zanpakutos, this one was pitch black. In fact, both of his blades in their sealed state were in the shape of his previous bankai. The only difference was that both were a bit shorter than their shikai forms and the prongs were now blood red. Since he wasn't given any, Ichigo created a couple of sheath for it under his quincy powers' instruction. 'Why does your sealed state look like my old bankai?'

"**Because it looks awesome."** White replied which annoyed Ichigo. "**Just kidding. You were already told Ichigo. Most of what is considered as 'normal' for a soul reaper does not apply to you."**

'I see. So now what?'

**"Now, we wait."**

_"And at the same time, we will start training on how to use the blut and your bankai. One more thing Ichigo, you would do well to consider Sosuke Aizen as an ally."_

'Why is that?'

"**When two zanpakutos clash in a battle between soul reapers, the zanpakutos can choose to have a little chat. During your fight with Aizen, Kyoka Suigetsu told us about Aizen's real motivations. I will not tell you now as she did ask me not to tell anyone including you. But, if you ever find out about it, you will realize that AIzen was betrayed by the soul society long before he even became a lieutenant."**

**'**Really? Now I'm really looking forward to finding out about it.'

_"Ichigo, there is one more thing you should know. It is about what happens should Yhwach be killed."_

'What is it?' Ichigo asked as he watched as the sun began to rise

* * *

**Here is the next one. I wanna explain some stuff. The first is, the royal guard chooses to ally with Ichigo simply because of the enemy of my enemy is my friend and also because I find them rather cool. The second is, the novels aren't part of my story since I haven't read any of them myself. The third is, Ichigo's new outfit from the royal guard. It's just his fullbring bankai outfit except with the specified colors. Hope you enjoyed this one. It is the longest one I have done thus far**


	35. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Four - The Final Countdown**

Ten Months Later

It has been months since the ambush. The soul society have sent a bunch of scouts and every single one have been killed by Ichigo. Eventually, Ichigo gave up on killing the soul reapers. They weren't even good warmup but also because he already had eyes and ears in the seireitei. If they were up to no good, he would know and he would kill them when they did

Bambietta has been called to retreat just earlier. Ichigo figured that it was only a matter of days or weeks before the war begins. Luckily for him, he has already mastered all of his abilities, including his bankai and it freaked Ichigo out. It really was a very dangerous power. It actually made him wonder that between his bankai and the almighty, which one was more dangerous

At the moment, Ichigo was just staying at home. School has been out for summer and as usual, he had to avoid Keigo's stupid plans. Orihime and Chad didn't have any particular plan and so did Uryu. Bored out of his mind, Ichigo went out for a walk. thinking about his plans on how he was gonna let the wandenreich and the soul society slaughter each other

_Flashback_

_Four Days After Ichigo's trip to the royal palace_

_Ichigo suddenly felt the soul reapers arrive here again. Wondering what took them so long, Ichigo decided to go to the soul society and spy on them."Fade to Black, Zangetsu." he said as he released his shikai and left to hunt down the soul reapers. Since it was a weekend, Ichigo didn't really have anything better to do although he was a bit surprised that there were fifteen of them this time _

_Not that the numbers matter. Low ranking soul reapers are always gonna be easy prey. In less than five minutes, Ichigo had already killed them all and he did it personally too. Without wasting a single moment, he opened a garganta and left for the soul society, arriving in the same exact place as he did last time_

_As soon as he arrived in the soul society, he went invisible and immediately left for the seireitei and he was rather surprised at what he saw. Shinji was present and he realized he ended up in squad five's barracks_

_'Shinji? I guess they decided to accept their offer. This complicates things. I guess that's why they haven't sent anyone in days. Classic soul society more concerned about nonsense stuff.' Ichigo thought to himself_

_"__**Are you seriously concerned about them?" **_

_'Of course I would.'_

_"__**You're missing an important factor here Ichigo."**_

_**'**__And what would that be?'_

_"__**What if they're with the plan to kill you?"**_

_**'**__You're right. Well in that case I'll kill them if they become my enemies. If they really are in agreement with the captains' plan to kill me then only fair I consider them an enemy as well.'_

_"__**Just be sure to check it first Ichigo. You don't wanna make a mistake do you?"**_

_**'**__No, I don't.' Ichigo responded. He then decided to go to each of the barracks and see which captains are occupying. Unsurprisingly, the old captains still held their posts but this time Rose, Kensei and even Mashiro was here. 'This is so annoying. I should just destroy this place once and for all.'_

_"__**Perhaps. But there is something else you can do to really spite them."**_

_**'**__Really? What?'_

_"__**Delete all their data and leave them in the dark during the invasion."**_

_**'**__Couldn't they just recover or replace it?'_

_"__**They could but not if you time it right or if you burn or melt their equipment. After all, you have control on how much heat you can add to something using your flames."**_

_**'**__You're right. And at the same time I can use that chance to keep an eye on them this whole time.' Ichigo said and immediately headed for the squad twelve barracks. However he came across the entrance to the central forty six chambers on his way there. 'On second thought...' he thought to himself and he broke inside and soon found a restricted door, one heading towards the daireishokairo. It wasn't even too hard considering how lax the thirteen court guard squads are. He didn't even trip any alarm. Once inside, Ichigo was amazed at how big the area was. Noticing the computer at the center of it, Ichigo walked towards it and accessed it. It took a while but Ichigo finally figured out how to access its data. 'Let's see. Kugo Ginjo.' he thought as he searched the data. Surprisingly, he found that what Ginjo told him was really true, although the data on him was incomplete. It didn't have the name of his bankai or its ability. 'Really is true. The so called most peace loving captain is actually a giant snake. Hope the quincies don't kill him. I wanna do that myself.' Ichigo thought before accessing a different set of data, Sosuke , the data on Aizen was incomplete. All that was on him was about his time in the soul society, starting from when he was a lieutenant. Ichigo then decided to check the other captains' data and saw that they all had a story prior to their entry. 'Interesting. Is the name Sosuke Aizen just an alias then?' he wondered_

_"__**Maybe. Maybe not."**_

_'Well, at least you're keeping your word to Kyoka Suigetsu.' Ichigo commented before reading more of Aizen's data. He was surprised that the data on Aizen's bankai has been deleted. 'Weird. Then again, this is Aizen we're talking about.' he said. He then decided to check the datas on the other captains' abilities. Ichigo then checked on the data concerning quincies and only saw the quincy massacre a few hundred years ago as well as how Mayuri experimented on Uryu's grandfather. Disgusted by this, Ichigo swore that he was gonna make Mayuri suffer. Having had enough, Ichigo unleashed a wave of flames and had it hide in various spots in the archives before he made himself scarce_

_Ichigo then went towards the squad twelve barracks. When he arrived, he mentally checked his human body for anything unusual. After a while, he had it check downstairs to see what his family was doing and saw that they were just doing the usual home stuff. Going back to the matter at hand, Ichigo made his way inside the barracks. It was confusing since he has never been to the place. After nearly half an hour of finding his way, Ichigo found Mayuri's own lab. He chose not to just barge in as it would be rather awkward if the door opened without anyone around so he chose to wait. Luckily for him, he saw Nemu coming his way, carrying something_

_"Master Mayuri, I brought the equipment you need." Nemu said as she entered the lab, unknowingly followed by Ichigo_

_"Ah good work Nemu. This should be finished soon." Mayuri commented as he continued working on a device_

_"May I ask what this is for Master Mayuri?" Nemu curiously asked_

_"It is something to catch the interest of Kisuke Urahara should he become a problem during Kugo Ginjo's elimination." Mayuri answered while still working on it_

_"But I thought Ginjo has been killed already?" Nemu asked_

_"Do you think I will stop working on this Nemu, you stupid girl? I will get rid of that annoying rat Kisuke Urahara one way or another." Mayuri darkly said with an evil smile_

_Ichigo raised an eyebrow at this, not at all surprised at Mayuri's behavior_

_"What about Yoruichi Shihoin then? Isn't she gonna be a problem if you try to kill Kisuke Urahara?" Nemu asked_

_"You silly girl you ask too many questions." Mayuri sighed. "When the head captain ordered the hunt for Kugo Ginjo, Byakuya Kuchiki was ordered to eliminate Yoruichi Shihoin while I eliminate Kisuke Urahara should they become a problem."_

_Now this really got Ichigo's attention. Byakuya was to kill Yoruichi under her nose. Suffice it to say he was rather glad that he tried to kill Byakuya. While he had no way to record this conversation, he knew that he had to destroy this device in one way or another. Thinking about his options, Ichigo waited until Mayuri left. Once he left, Ichigo had his flames enter the device. Now all he had to do was wait for either the wandenreich invasion or when the soul society is up to something and he needs to buy some time. On his way out, he did notice a certain stuffed animal in one of the labs. Ichigo then waited for a while until no one was around. Once everyone left, he took the pill from the plushie, figuring he can always just find another stuffed animal to put Kon in although he did wonder how the mod soul wound up in the clutches of squad twelve_

_Ichigo then promptly left and headed to sokyoku hill. 'Been a while since I was last here.' he thought as he arrived_

_"__**Yeah. Last time you were here I saved your ass from Byakuya."**__ White snicked which annoyed Ichigo_

_'Thanks for the reminder.' Ichigo said annoyed to which White just laughed. Pondering his options, Ichigo knew he couldn't release any of his dark flames as it would be suspicious if black shadows were moving from one location to another. 'Crap. So I have to wait until night before I can leave? Damn it.'_

_"__**You don't have to."**_

_'What are you talking about?'_

_"__**Look at the trees behind you."**__ White said and Ichigo did as he was told. "__**Have your flames hide on its branches. Since there's nothing going on right now, nobody should bother to come up here considerng how stupid the stairs is. Once darkness falls, have your flames scatter throughout although you should leave a rather large volume so you can cover the whole seireitei."**_

_**'**__Gotcha. And I'll just place them in areas that wherever the sun is, it won't make it obvious they are fake shadows.'_

_"__**Exactly."**_

_'Thanks.' Ichigo said before flashing to the trees and releasing a large volume of flames and had it pretend to be shadows from the leaves. Since he has done what he came here for and found out why they haven't sent soul reapers, Ichigo went inside the training area where he first trained for bankai and promptly left_

_Once it was midnight, Ichigo had his flames scatter all around the seireitei, heading to various barraks while some of the ones in the archives were also scattered to where the central forty six holds meetings, some also to each of the captain's offices, just waiting to devour the prey when Ichigo wants it to_

-Silbern, Present Day-

Bambietta was a bit relieved upon her return to silbern. She was not particularly happy with the mission she had. "I have returned your majesty." she said as she entered the throne room and knelt

"Sternritter E, Bambietta Basterbine, report." Yhwach ordered

"Yes your majesty. Ichigo Kurosaki is not doing anything that will be a threat to us." Bambi replied

"Are you sure about that?" Haschwalth asked suspiciously

"I am. Kurosaki has not regained any of his powers. During the early weeks of my mission, there were people who wanted to give him back his powers, however the soul society appears to have killed them. As a result, Kurosaki still does not have any powers and is just living as a regular human in the world of the living." Bambi said

"I see. Do you happen to know anything about the people who wanted to give back his powers?" Haschwalth asked

"Unfortunately, I do not. I did not investigate as it might draw suspicion as to who I really am." Bambi answered

"I see." Haschwalth said with narrowed eyes

"Very well then. Bambietta Basterbine, you have done well. You are dismissed." Yhwach said

"Yes, your majesty." Bambi said as she got up and left

Before she could exit the door however. "Bambietta Basterbine, I will want a meeting with all the sternritters to brief you over the final plans for the invasion. The meeting will take place in two hours in the meeting room. Be there on time." Haschwalth ordered

"Yes, grand master." Bambi said and promptly left towards her room

"A meeting huh?" Yhwach said as Bambi left

"Yes, your majesty. Despite our advantage and the element of surprise, I do not believe it is wise that we should barge in there without a plan." Haschwalth answered

"Very well. I will attend this meeting and approve the plans if it is acceptable." Yhwach said

"Yes, your majesty." Haschwalth said

Bambi's room

Bambi was rather annoyed. She just got back and just a few hours later there was a meeting. When she got back, she was not surprised at who was inside

"Hey Bambi. Welcome back." Candice said as she entered the room

"Hey Candice." Bambi said nonchalantly as she entered the room

"What's with that greeting? You're not happy to be back?" Candice asked curiously

"I am. It's just. I don't know. I just feel that something is off ever since I arrived." Bambi answered honestly

"What do you mean?" Candice asked

"I'm not really sure. Maybe I'm just on edge after laying low for so long." Bambi said as she sat down

"Are you alright Bambi?" Candice asked worriedly

"I'm not really sure myself." Bambi said as she looked down

"Maybe you've become more human." Candice said with a smirk

Now this pissed off Bambietta. "What?! The hell are you talking about?!" she yelled to which Candice laughed as she was dodging reishi bombs

"Alright, alright, enough already." Candice said, laughing

Bambi just growled angrily at this before she stopped firing bombs but she still fumed

"Oh by the way. Haschwalth said he wanted a meeting later." Candice as she returned to the bed

"Yeah, I just came from the throne room. Haschwalth told me about that." Bambi said annoyed

"What are you annoyed about?" Candice asked

"I just wanted to rest for a bit." Bambi sighed

Candice just looked at Bambi before finally asking the question. "So tell me Bambi, did you do him?" she asked with a massive grin

"What?" Bambi asked confused

"Come on. You know exactly what I'm talking about?" Candice grumbled

Bambi thought about it for a second before realizing what she meant. "Oh that. No I didn't sleep with him. The guy's too much of a prude." she said rather disappointed

"You really wanted to do him didn't you?" Candice asked

"At first, no. But the guy is rather hot so I did wanna do him." Bambi said honestly

"Well, maybe it was a good thing you didn't do him otherwise you would have ended up killing him." Candice said seriously

After a while of chit chat, the other three of their group soon arrived

"Hey Bambi, welcome back." Giselle greeted in glee

"How was it Bambi?" Meninas asked as she waved her hand

"Bet you screwed him didn't you?" Liltotto said as she closed the door

The five of then chatted with each other for a while

Two Hours later

The five then made their way to the meeting room, which was massive. After a while, all the other sternritter arrived with the grand master and Yhwach arriving last

"Is everyone here?" Haschwalth calmy said

"Yes." nearly all of the sternritter replied

"Very well then. It is time we discuss the plans for the invasion. First off, we will divide the invasion into two parts. The first is for us to pick off a few of the captains and we retreat." Haschwalth said which caused a bit of confusion

"Pardon me, grandmaster, but why would we not go for the assault in one go?" Quilge Opie asked

"At the moment, we cannot afford to have silbern overtake the seireitei and as such, his majesty's time outside will be limited and we will be forced to retreat." Haschwalth explained

"If that's the case, why don't we delay the invasion at a later date for when we overtake the seireitei?" Cang Du pointed out

"Because of the royal guard. If we take over the seireitei, the royal guard might make their way down and ambush us while we are busy fighting the thirteen court guard squads, thereby causing us casualties that could have otherwise been avoided." Haschwalth answered

"Won't we be giving the soul reapers time to prepare if we only do a hit and run?" Driscoll Berci asked

"Not necessarily." Robert Accutrone said

"What do you mean by that?" Driscoll asked

"We have the element of surprise on this war but we can further exploit this with proper prediction." Robert answered

"Explain." Haschwalth ordered

"Here is my proposal. I propose the the schutzstaffel sit out the first invasion and we only bring half or less of the total number of sternritters during the first attack. The ones who will join in the first invasion would be selected based on how their abilities matchup against the captains or if they can do something to cripple them in methods other than killing the captains. If the sternritter in question was not able to face the captain that his abilities have a good match against the captain's, only then will we use our ace in the hole, which is to steal a captain's bankai. However, should a captain immediately release his or her bankai, then we steal it and cripple them." Robert explained

"So, your plan is to give the court guard squads the sense that the ones in the first invasion are our only force when in fact we have more in reserve?" Candice joined in

"Precisely. If data on the royal guard is accurate, they will only come when the seireitei is destroyed. Once that happens, the soul reapers are probably gonna use the time that they think we have given them to train and prepare for the next invasion. During the second invasion, only then will we come back to finish the job and overtake the soul society. If we successfully pick off the head captain during the first invasion, then things will only be better for us." Robert answered

"That still leaves a bit of a problem." Meninas said

"What would that be?" Robert asked

"Some of the captains use their bankai almost immediately during a fight. If we steal a bankai, won't they find other methods to fight?" Meninas pointed out

"That is true but that is the beauty of this plan." Quilge said as he understood what Robert was inferring

"What do you mean?" Candice asked

"Because of the fact that not all of us are gonna go on the first assault. If anything, during the second invasion, the captains would probably expect to face the same opponents they fought during the first invasion. This is where our element of surprise comes in, as they will not expect more captain level fighters. Even if they did expect it, they won't be able to do anything as not many of the captains can fight more than one fighter of equal strength. That's not even considering that the schutzstaffel are stronger than each of the captains individually minus the head captain." surprisingly, it was Bambietta who said this

"That is exactly what I'm saying." Robert said

"That's a decent plan, but what about the notable threats or war powers or whatever they're called? Won't they become a problem?" Bazz B asked

"Not necessarily. In fact, quite the opposite." Quilge said

"Care to explain that?" Liltotto said

"Well, we know where the threats are and how they operate. The fact is, they were based on their full potential and not their current level. From what we know from Bambietta Basterbine, Ichigo Kurosaki is out of the picture as he has not found a way to regain his powers. Sosuke Aizen is imprisoned and the prison holding him has to be quite strong to be able to contain someone like him. Kisuke Urahara is still in the world of the living and has not come back to the soul society. Ichibe Hyosube is at the royal palace and will not come down unless the seireitei is in ruins. Kenpachi Zaraki still hasn't unlocked his zanpakuto. With all these information, it is safe to assume that Kurosaki will not be a problem. As long as we don't destroy whatever the soul society is using to contain Aizen, he will remain out of the picture. If we destroy the senkaimon, then we are effectively keeping Kisuke Urahara and the others from the world of the living out of the fight although this will not last long so we have to act fast. Ichibe Hyosube should be the easiest prey as the royal guard's jurisdiction is only the royal palace. As for Kenpachi Zaraki, we kill him before he unlocks his power." Robert explained

"What about the head captain? Surely he will prove to be a problem despite not being a notable threat." Candice pointed out

"I will take care of him myself. None of you are to attack him unless he finds you first." Yhwach said as he had been observing the discusssion since it started

"Yes, your majesty." nearly all of the sternritter replied

"Very well then. Any more questions?" Haschwalth asked

"I do, grand master." Candice asked to which Haschwalth just motioned for her to continue. "What about the arrancars? Since the soul society and las noches have not had a fight since the war with Aizen ended, it is safe to assume that they have a truce. What if after the first invasion, the soul society asks them for help?"

"Then we destroy their garganta during the first invasion. If it is destroyed, las noches will be kept in the dark about what is happening in the soul society." Robert answered for Haschwalth

"Do we even know where that is?" Meninas questioned

"Most likely in squad twelve's barracks. Since according to the daten, Mayuri Kurotsuchi discovered a garganta in hueco mundo. It is safe to assume that he has kept it somewhere in his lab." Quilge added

"I want someone to take over hueco mundo during the second invasion." Yhwach said

"May I ask what for, your majesty?" Haschwalth politely asked

"Kisuke Urahara will be kept out of the invasion for a while. If he cannot join in to help, he will most likely find allies to aid the soul society and the arrancars would be good allies. I want hueco mundo to be conquered before Kisuke Urahara gets there and makes some deals with the arrancars." Yhwach ordered

"Yes, your majesty. Now, if there are no objections or questions, it is time to select personnel." Haschwalth said while awaiting for a response. After receiving none, he spoke once more. "Alright then. Quilge Opie, you will be the one to oversee the invasion of hueco mundo. It will be your duty ensure that the arrancars do not join up with the soul society. Pepe Waccabrada, Nianzol Weizol and Berenice Gabrielli, you three will accompany Quilge during the invasion. You are to obey whatever Quilge deems necessary to take over hueco mundo. The four of you will not join in on the first invasion as to avoid injuries. Your focus will only be on the conquest of las noches."

"Yes, grand master." the four said in unison

"Alright for the first invasion, I want As Nodt, Cang Du, Bazz B, Nanana Najahkoop, Giselle Gewelle, Mask de Masculine, BG9, Jerome Guizbatt, Driscoll Berci and Bambietta Basterbine to join myself and his majesty along with the soldats on the first invasion." Haschwalth ordered to which the mentioned sternritters gave an affirmative. "If any of the captains release their bankai immediately, you are ordered to kill them as soon as you can and proceed to assist the others. Bambietta, you will have a special task for this one. If you encounter any of the captains, do whatever you can to limit the amount of time you use in an engagement. Your task would be to go to the senkaimon and destroy it. Release your volstandig if you deem it necessary." he said while looking at Bambietta who gave an affirmative. "Giselle Gewelle, your main focus in this invasion would be to target the squad twelve barracks and destroy as many equipment as you can. Your main target would be the garganta but the more equipment destroyed the better." he ordered and Giselle gave a salute in her eternal glee. "The rest of you are to purge as many soul reapers as you like. Should you happen to steal a captains bankai, you are to dispatch that captain immediately and cause as much damage as you can. During the second invasion, all of us are to attack the seireitei with the exception of the hueco mundo hunting corps. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir." they said in unison

"Very well then. Are these plans acceptable, your majesty?" Haschwalth asked

"Indeed they are however I would like one minor change. I want both sternritters Y to join us during the first invasion." Yhwach said

Figuring the reason as to why, Haschwalth did not bother to ask. "Yes your majesty." he said while the other two just nodded

"Very well then. Driscoll, you are to attack one of the gates later. I will send a few soldat to the head captain's office and declare war on the soul society while you attack whoever is at the gate." Yhwach ordered

"Yes, your majesty." Driscoll said

"Before our meeting ends, I would like to ask, what happens to a stolen bankai if its owner dies?" Bazz B asked

"It will remain within the medallion. A stolen bankai will remain stolen unless the soul reapers find a way to take it back. However, if the soul reaper in question has been killed, the bankai will remain with the medallion." Askin answered

"Alright then." Bazz B said

'None of them are talking about the fact that someone has been attacking the soul reapers in the last few months? Why? Are these guys unaware of this? Or do they think that the guy who attacked the soul reapers is someone to take lightly? I do know for a fact that for at least half a year now, Ichigo has stopped hunting down the stealth force that were sent to the world of the living.' Bambietta thought to herself as everyone left the meeting room. Curious about this, she went to Candice's room with the excuse that she wanted to hang out. While they were chit chatting, she looked at Candice's copy of the daten, thinking that hers might be more updated. Bambietta was rather surprised to see that they stopped collecting information for a while now. In fact, the information hasn't been updated for a little over a year, just before she left for the world of the living to be precise. 'I see. So they don't know about the ambushes.' she thought to herself as she read it

Hours later, at sunset

Head Captain Yamamoto was in his office, admiring the view of the sunset. It has been rather peaceful for the soul society since the battle with Aizen, with the exception of the random stealth force members being killed when they were sent to the world of the living. This did make Yamamoto curious as to what exactly was happening and was actually considering on sending a captain to investigate this should it happen again however, whoever their assailant was, has gone to ground and left no trace to tracked. These thoughts plagued the head captain's mind before five people suddenly entered the head captains office without the door opening

"You are head captain Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, right?" one of the men asked

"Indeed I am. Who are you people?" Yamamoto responded

"Don't you think it is rather careless to leave the head captain's quarters with so little security?" another one asked, completely ignoring the question

"I am here. There can be no better security than this." Yamamoto declared

"I see. That hubris, will be your undoing, head captain." the first guy responded. Before anything else could happen, Chojiro was suddenly thrown into the room, pierced by a javelin right through his body

"Chojiro!" Yamamoto yelled and immediately went to his subordinate

Before Yamamoto could attack the strangers, their apparent leader spoke. "In five days, the soul society will be annihilated by the wandenreich." and with that, all of them, including the assailant became engulfed in darkness and vanished

"Wait!" Yamamoto yelled as he wanted to ask questions but it was in vain. The strangers were gone before he could do anything

"Head captain... They... can... bankai." Chojiro attempted to speak but was too wounded and finally passed away

"Chojiro..." Yamamoto muttered sadly as his longtime subordinate lost his life

-Karakura Town-

"What's wrong Ichigo?" Kon asked, who was now in another plushie, much to his dismay, as Ichigo frowned for a bit while reading a magazine

"Just thinking." Ichigo simply replied as he observed the whole ordeal via the zombie flames he left behind. 'Five days huh? So it begins.' he thought to himself as he readied himself to end this once and for all

* * *

**Here is the next chapter. Yeah, I'm not gonna reveal the two mysteries I made in the previous chapter anytime soon. I also decided to make Zangetsu's release commands as 'Fade to Black' as it is my favorite song. As for the translations, I already mentioned this, don't blame me if the translations sucks. Blame google translate instead. if anyone knows a better translator then kindly mention it in the reviews. I also won't change too much about the first invasion as it was satisfying for me. In fact, it is my third favorite part in the whole canon of bleach. I think that's about it for my words on this chapter **


	36. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Five - The Blood Warfare**

-Soul Society, Five Days Later-

Pillars of blue flames suddenly erupted all around the seireitei which alerted all the soul reapers to an enemy attack and every single one of them mobilized for battle. Within minutes after the pillars appeared, dozens of quincies came pouring out and began massacring the soul reapers, who were caught completley off guard by the attack as they expected the quincies to appear at the gates instead of inside the seireitei

The attack was completely one sided. Most of the unseated soul reapers didn't even get a chance to draw their swords as they were almost instantly killed. The sternritters chosen by Haschwalth to lead this invasion showed absolutely no mercy

Over in the squad thirteen barrack's area, Haschwalth appeared and killed four soul reapers instantly upon his arrival. "Tremble soul reapers. Your lives are about to be purged by the sternritters." he said before walking towards the army that was in front of him

Near the squad three barracks, Nanana and Bazz B made their entrance and almost instantly, every soul reaper was burned to a crisp. They were then confronted by squad three's seated officers

"Get ready men." Izuru said as he drew his blade

"Yes sir." the three seated officers replied but before they could even do anything, they were suddenly immobilized as a grid pattern appeared on their body

"What the?" one of them asked but suddenly, flames came their direction and all three were burned

"You bastards. You'll pay for that." Izuru said coldly

"Go on to a different area. I got this." Bazz B said

"Alright then. Time for some fun." Nanana replied but before he can leave the area

"Hold it right there." Izuru yelled as Nanana was about to leave and charged at the two quincies. Bazz B has no interest in this one and summoned his crossbow and fired it right at the lieutenant, blasting off most of his right torso

At a different part of the seireitei, As Nodt was just casually walking around despite the soul reapers surrounding him. When they attacked him, they all suddenly stopped moving before every single one of them wailed. More and more soul reapers attempted to subdue him but whenever they came close to the thorns floating around As Nodt, they suffer the same fate as the others

"Do not retreat. We are the thirteen court guard squads." one of the random soul reapers yelled but the fear was obvious. This was not an enemy they could hope to defeat in a million years

The soul reapers then prepared to attack again before a blade then appeared in front, stopping them in their tracks. "Lieutenant Abarai..." another one spoke

"Well said. Go on to the others. Leave this guy to me." Renji said and with that the other soul reapers left

Renji attempted to launch attacks on As Nodt but he could not come close to him to land a hit. He knew he had to stay away from the thorns or something bad was gonna happen. As Renji was preparing to go another round, he was suddenly ambushed by another quincy but lucky for him, he managed to dodge the attack

"Damn it. How many of them are there?" Renji grumbled before the newcomer was suddenly in front of him and he had no time to dodge. "Damn it."

Before he was attacked though, a swarm of flower petals appeared and saved him from the attack

"There is no need to show mercy Renji. They are the enemies of the soul society. Let's crush them." Byakuya said as he walked towards the three

"Captain..." Renji muttered

In different areas of the seireitei, Cang Du, Driscoll, BG9 and Jerome appeared. The four of them immediately went on a killing spree among the unseated soul reapers. Cang Du however, was confronted by Toshiro and Rangiku while BG9 was confronted by Soi Fon. Driscoll was near the squad nine's barracks and was brutally beating up Shuhei after killing a few soul reapers

At the western gate, Giselle was just casually walking around with her always present goofy smile

"Hold it right there." a soul reaper said

"Oh you mean me?" Giselle asked innocently

"I don't care if you're a girl. I will still kill you if you disobey." another one said

This did not faze Giselle at all and just continued to walk towards them

"I said stop." the first guy said before slash her, causing her blood to be spilled all over the place and hitting many of the soul reapers

"Oh my, you shouldn't have gone and attacked little ol me." Giselle said casually before the soul reapers appeared to be putting their own swords at their necks

"Please stop this!" another guy said as he was desperately trying not to kill himself

"Now now. Tell me where the squad twelve barracks is would you." Giselle asked the soul reapers

"Yeah. As if we'll ever tell you." a different guy said defiantly

"Alright. Then let's play a game. First one to squeal loses." Giselle said before leaving herself wide open to which other soul reapers attacked and got more blood spilled on them. Since she was under direct orders to attack the squad twelve barracks, she decided against toying with her playthings for now and just turned all of them into zombies. "Now, let's try this again. Where is the squad twelve barracks?" she asked in a happy tone before a giant appeared behind her

"That is a cheap trick little girl. In the city, you should always give your opponents a chance to fight back." Jidanbo said before he attacked Giselle, cutting off her right arm

"Oh my. That was cruel of you to attack a girl like that." Giselle said as she lost her right arm but her blood was spilled on Jidanbo. In a few minutes, even Jidanbo fell to Giselle's power

"Now then. Would any of you tell me where the squad twelve barracks is?" Giselle asked as she had a zombified Jidanbo lift her to his shoulders while she regenerated the wound he inflicted

"It's that way." a zombified soul reaper said and pointed to the southeast

"Alright let's go." Giselle said happily and had her army march towards her objective

Near the squad eleven barracks, Jerome was killing soul reaper after soul reaper using his sonic scream. After reaching the entrance to the barracks, he was suddenly confronted by a man that was none other than Kenpachi Zaraki

In the squad seven barracks, Bambietta was rampaging through the area, slicing apart soul reapers in the dozens while she laughed out loud. After a few dozen kills, she was suddenly confronted by a dog, who grabbed her arm, effectively stopping her from killing any more soul reapers

"What's this? Even such a young girl in the rebel army?" Sajin asked curiously when he got a look at her

"A doggie as a soul reaper captain? The soul society must really be short on manpower huh." Bambietta retorted before flashing back a good distance. 'Damn it. I have to get to the senkaimon as quickly as possible. It's at the center of this place and I can't afford to waste much time with him.' she thought to herself

Before anything could happen, the spiritual pressure around suddenly spiked as Sajin, Byakuya, Soi Fon and Toshiro all released there bankais. However, the pressure almost instantly dropped as all bankai's with the exception of Sajin's was stolen. Sajin was then alerted that the quincies can steal the bankai by a tenteikura created by Rangiku

Sajin frowned at that information and wondered why his wasn't stolen or rather, why his opponent chose not to steal it. "Why did you not steal my bankai?" he asked as he tried to attack Bambietta

Bambietta was not surprised at this show of bankai. She learned of how it works through the daten and its abilities was confirmed by Ichigo during her time at the world of the living. "Why would I? That bankai of yours is so lame it will only make me an easy prey." she answered before flashing to the back of the giants right arm

Sajin attempted to get her off but he wasn't able to do so and Bambi remained on the back of the hand. He then felt a jolt of pain as Bambi stabbed the hand of the giant which was then reflected on his own body. Before Sajin could try something else, his hand was suddenly blown off, courtesy of Bambietta

"Captain!" Tetsuzaemon yelled when he saw his captain lose his right hand and dropped his sword before he attempted to charge at Bambietta

Bambietta on the other hand, was annoyed that a lowly lieutenant would attemt to interfere and fire a barrage of reishi at him. While Tetsuzaemon managed to dodge a few, he was eventually hit by one of them and he exploded, sending him flying into a building and knocking him out of the fight

"Tetsuzaemon!" Sajin called out when his lieutenant was knocked out. When he tried to pick up his sword though

"You should worry about yourself doggie." Bambietta said with a smirk which grabbed Sajin's attention. He was helpless to stop as Bambi fired another barrage of bombs aimed at the giant's legs, wounding it and Sajin himself and caused him to get on his knees. Before Sajin could mount a counter attack, he suddenly felt his head stabbed as Bambietta aimed for his bankai's head. "Sorry doggie. I don't have time to waste so I'll have to end this." she said coldly before wings came out of her back, indicating she had released her volstandig and soon, a massive explosion happened and the giant's, and by extension, Sajin's, head exploded, killing the captain once and for all. "Finally." Bambi said before making haste towards the senkaimon

The other captains weren't in a much better position. Shunsui and Jushiro in particular had their hands full. While their opponents weren't sternritters, they were still high ranking soldiers in the wandenreich. Their attackers knew they wouldn't be abe to defeat the two captains so instead, they decided to keep the two in their respective areas while they await to be relieved by the sternritters who no longer had their hands full. One of them even managed to catch Shunsui off guard and wounded his right eye

Since the beginning of the invasion, Rukia was engaged by a few soldiers of the wandenreich. She attempted to finish them off quickly so she could go assist her brother but she soon realized that won't be an easy task. The soldiers weren't even trying to kill her. Just like with Shunsui and Jushiro, they were instead trying to keep her from leaving the area. When she felt Byakuya's spiritual pressure drop, Rukia attempted to just leave and ignore the soldiers. Before she could, Bazz B arrived at the area and attacked her with his flames. This left her severely injured and scorched on the grounds of her barracks. Afterwards, Bazz B felt the head captain himself join in on the fight and moved in to ambush him despite Yhwach's instructions. As Nodt and Nanana also moved in since they finished their respective battles

At the squad twelve barracks, Giselle and her army finally reached their destination and began trashing the place. Since Mayuri was out doing whatever, the barracks was easy prey as most of the soul reapers there weren't even fighters. Within minutes, many of the researchers were killed and subsequently turned into zombies, which only added to Giselle's firepower. Without their captain or any capable fighter nearby, the squad was helpless as they were forced to retreat while Giselle had her army trash the place. Her first target was to find their communications office. This would leave them in the dark and be unable to communicate the situation to Kisuke Urahara, or anyone outside the soul society for that matter. Kisuke wouldn't even suspect anything as nothing suspicious has been going on lately. A problem then soon made itself known. Giselle had no idea where the communications room was nor where the garganta is so she had to act quickly as someone might be there and trying to call for backup already

Her fears were indeed confirmed. In the communications room in squad twelve, few officers including Akon, were desperately trying to contact the Urahara Shop. Their efforts, however, was all in vain as none of the equipment were functioning

"Damn it. Why isn't this working? Is this thing broken?" Akon demanded to know

"I'm not sure sir. The equipment were still in working condition since yesterday and the quincies haven't even attacked here." one of the officers said

"Well, fix it. We're getting slaughtered here. We're gonna get wiped out if nothing happens soon." Akon ordered

What they didn't know however, was that the equipment have been destroyed by Ichigo just as the invasion began. While the outside of it were still fine, the insides however weren't. The flames that Ichigo left behind in the squad twelve barracks were finally activated by him, and he had it melt a few wirings and vital parts of the equipment. Ichigo timed this perfectly so that when the quincies finally began their invasion, he would immediately cause the equipment to malfunction. However, he knew that this won't last long if someone decides to fix it so the only thing he can hope for is that the quincies considered squad twelve an important target and prioritized it. Just to be safe though, Ichigo also damaged the garganta that the soul society had, thereby ensuring that they are completely alone in this war

To his relief however, zombies came barging into the room just a few minutes after Ichigo caused the equipment to malfunction. Realizing that this was bad, the officers and Akon were forced to retreat otherwise they would just feed this army of corpses. Satisfied that the communications room was found, Giselle immediately had her army destroy as many stuff as they could before in a nearby room, she also found more equipment with more officers trying to get it to work and they appeared to be really desperate. Figuring out that this must be the garganta, Giselle ordered it destroyed, finally completing her mission

Just as the garganta was destroyed though, Mayuri finally came back and began slaughtering her zombie army. Since she no longer had any business here, Giselle got back on Jidanbo's shoulder before having her entire army leave the place

Somewhere else while the battles raged in the seireitei, Yhwach, Royd and Haschwalth were just casually walking around while the soul reapers around them trembled when they suddenly noticed a certain spiritual pressure drop

"It seems Byakuya Kuchiki has died." Haschwalth noted

"Indeed so. Royd, take my place. There is somewhere I have to be." Yhwach ordered before leaving

Royd gave a silent affirmative at this before transforming into Yhwach. Before they could go further though, a voice called out to them

"Yo, you the boss of these clowns?" Kenpachi asked, carrying Jerome and a copy of himself on his back along with dragging two other wandenreich officers

Haschwalth and Royd just looked at him curiously before Royd engaged in battle with Zaraki

Meanwhile, Yhwach made his way to the squad one barracks and soon came across the entrance to the underground prison. He went to the deepest part of the prison and finally found the entrance to muken. Inside muken, he came across the man he was looking for, bound in a very sturdy pillar, Sosuke Aizen

"Sosuke Aizen." Yhwach said while Aizen just eyed him with curiosity. "I come with a proposal. I will get you out of this prison if you agree to join my army as a special war power."

Aizen still just looked at Yhwach curiously and from the looks of it, he appeared to be contemplating the offer. What Yhwach didn't know however, was that Aizen was secretly using his Kyoka Suigetsu to buy the other soul reapers some time

"I refuse." Aizen simply said after a few minutes of silence

"I see. That's too bad." and with that, Yhwach just left the area. He knew killing Aizen would be futile as the guy was immortal and since he refused the offer, Yhwach knew that Aizen would be opposing the wandenreich. So instead he decided to just let him rot in prison

Yhwach soon made his way to where his impostor was fighting the head captain. Just when Royd was defeated, Yhwach suddenly appeared behind Yamamoto. They exchanged insults for a bit before Yhwach stole Yamamoto's bankai and killing him once and for all

"The head captain is head and the soul society is crumbling. Tell the remaining sternritters to completely crush the soul society." Yhwach order which was then transmitted by Haschwalth

All the sternritters then knelt to the ground and soon dozens of soldats appeared, who then began to slaughter more and more soul reapers

While Yhwach was making his way towards the squad one barracks, Bambietta was busy flashing from one roof to another, heading towards the main senkaimon. Eventually, she reached her destination. There were some guards stationed to guard the senkaimon. Wasting no time, Bambietta flashed towards the guards and killed them almost instantaneously. Before she could do anything however, someone snuck up behind her and tried to attack. Bambietta managed to barely dodge the attack before having look at her attacker

"Hey there girl. I prefer that we not fight if we could." Shinji said nonchalantly

"Sorry. The orders were clear. If you leave me alone here then we could avoid a fight." Bambietta responded, hoping not to waste time

"You expect me to just let you destroy the senkaimon?" Shinji asked curiously

"Enough already Shinji. Let's just kill her." Kensei said as he and Mashiro arrived

"Don't worry Kensei, I'll take care of her." Mashiro said before putting on her mask and charging at Bambietta

Both girls were now engaged in combat. Bambietta was forced on the defensive due to Mashiro's ruthless attacks. Eventually, Kensei joined in and attempted to slash her at her back but she barely managed to dodge again. Before she could mount a counter attack, she saw Kensei and Mashiro charging at her again. Curious as to what Shinji was doing, she looked around and saw that he released his shikai and is now spinning it. Knowing this was a bad situation, Bambietta activated her blut vene. Instead of her being wounded by the attacks, she was instead only thrown around from the force of Kensei's slash and Mashiro's kick and she was soon knocked into a pillar

"Hard to fight isn't it?" Shinji asked as he stopped twirling his sword. "Sakanade reverses the opponent's sense of direction. Well, you can't fight when you can't tell where your opponent is coming from now can't you?"

"Just enough of that Shinji. Let's finish her off already." Mashiro whined

Now Bambietta was pissed. After hearing what Shinji said about his zanpakuto, she knew there was only one way to deal with these three. When Mashiro was just about ready to charge again, a massive volume of reishi was suddenly released and Bambietta now had blue reishi wings. WIthout wasting a moment, Bambietta fired reishi bombs on all directions. Shinji and the others thought this was bad and tried to dodge but the amount fired was too much. All of them were hit by and subsequently exploded. It didn't happen once but all of them exploded at least three times

"So that's your trick? Reverse your opponent's sense of direction? How lame. If I can't tell where you are or where you're coming from, then all I have to do is blast all directions at once. That is what my 'the Explode' is good at." Bambietta yelled in ecstasy as she fired a very large barrage of bombs. Mashiro was knocked out and blasted away after two explosions while the captains took three before they were taken out of the fight. When she knocked out her opponents, Bambietta launched a few more bombs at them just to blast them away from the area. "Now then, where was I?" Bambietta said as she eyed the senkaimon before firing even more bombs. Eventually, the senkaimon itself collapsed from having its structure destroyed by the explosions. When she dropped her volstandig though, she received orders to completely crush the soul society. Along with the other sternritters, she knelt down and summon dozens of soldat and unleashed them upon the nearby area

Before the quincies can finish off the soul society, Yhwach was suddenly but slowly engulfed by the shadows

"It is time your majesty. The time that you can spend outside the schatten bereich has reached its limit. You must return to silbern." Haschwalth said when the shadows started to engulf him

"Impossible. There should still be more time. How?" Yhwach wondered before realizing something. "I see. Sosuke Aizen. When I was underground, Aizen managed to alter my perception of the time. You must have realized this Haschwalth. Why did you not tell me about this?"

"I judged that attempting to stop you would be quite futile." Haschwalth responded with eyes closed

"I see. No matter. let us depart. Squad zero will arrive here soon. Let's finish the job another time." Yhwach said as he left. And just like that, every single quincy that has invaded the seireitei retreated and disappeared. The soul reapers were relieved that their invaders just left but at the same time curious as to why they didn't finish the job

Just a few minutes after the quincies left, the seireitei was in complete ruins. Yamamoto and Komamura were dead. Byakuya, Renji and Rukia were in critical condition. Shinji, Kensei and Mashiro were still unconscious following their battle with Bambietta. Rose was still paralyzed courtesy of Nanana. Toshiro, Rangiku and Soi Fon were still unconscious as well following their respective battles. Shunsui and Jushiro decided to fix up their own injuries first before they went out and helped the rest. Mayuri on the other hand was busy trying to find any working equipment but was in vain as all of it has been trashed by Giselle's army, the ones for communication inside and outside the soul society at least. Zaraki also suffered injuries and was still unconscious after Royd impersonating Yhwach nearly killed him. Only Unohana suffered no injures as per Yamamoto's orders, she was to stay out of the fight

-Karakura Town, during the invasion-

At the Urahara shop, everyone was oblivious to what was happening. Ever since Ichigo had quit killing the stealth force, they just enjoyed the peace although they knew that eventually, whoever attacked the soul reapers would make himself known and they would be ready for it. Neither Kisuke nor Yoruichi were aware that someone actually invaded the soul society since no one from there actually came to the town and no soul reaper was stationed here as the soul society figured that Kisuke and the other can deal with the hollows. They didn't even bother to inform Kisuke that Chojiro was killed and as such, Kisuke and the others were not aware of anything out of the ordinary

"So boring." Yoruichi complained as she was just lounging around

"What's wrong Yoruichi?" Kisuke asked as he entered the main room

"I'm so bored. There is nothing to do here. Where is Tessai and the others anyway?" Yoruichi asked curiously

"Oh they went out. Since they were out I also asked Tessai to get some merchandise while he's at it." Kisuke answered with a perverted grin

"So they won't be back for a while?" Yoruichi asked with her own perverted grin

"Nope." Kisuke replied and not long, the both of them began to make out before Kisuke carried her to one of the bedrooms

This did not go unnoticed by Ichigo and he got a nosebleed once he saw what the Kisuke and Yoruichi were doing via his own zombies that were still in the shop

'Damn it those two perverts.' Ichigo grumbled when he decided to check the surroundings of his zombies

"**You sure you don't wanna join them Ichigo?"**

'HELL NO!' Ichigo responded while his face flashed a crimson red

_"At any rate, Ichigo, while Kisuke and Yoruichi are distracted, use this to damage their senkaimon and garganta. Do not outright destroy it. Just damage it to the point where it cannot be used."_

'You're right.' he realized before having has zombies go to the underground training area and had it turn into regular flames before inflicting some damage to a few wirings and parts, similar to what he did to the squad twelve communication equipments and garganta. 'Oh yeah. Mind telling me why you said this wasn't a good time to just kill Yhwach?'

"**Are you really asking that question now?"**

'Yeah I am. You saw it yourself. Yhwach is pre occupied with the invasion. This would be the perfect chance to kill him. The invasion isn't even over yet so I still have time.'

"**Maybe but it isn't a good idea."**

'Why?'

_"Ichigo, you already know what is coming should Yhwach be killed. According to Bambietta, there are twenty seven sternritters and from our count, there were only at least ten who had invaded, Yhwach not counted."_

'What does that have to do with anything?'

_"Bambietta said that many of the sternritters are not completely loyal to Yhwach. However, this is very vague as that could range to nearly all of them to only five or less. If you take out Yhwach now, then his loyalists would go back to silbern and plot their revenge. Even for you, it is risky to enter an enemy stronghold on your own."_

**"And also, since the event after Yhwach's death would happen almost immediately, there will be next to no time for you to relax. If the sternritters do something stupid while you are busy dealing with it, you might have to split your focus and you cannot afford that. Don't forget, despite us telling you what will happen is Yhwach dies, you still chose to wanna kill him."**

'Alright I guess you have a point. But I'm still concerned. Will I really kill Yhwach or will it only repeat what happened a thousand years ago?'

**"It won't. Besides, your bankai doesn't by definition kill your opponent so you don't have to worry about that."**

**'**Don't you guys have a backup plan or something? You two know just about everything about him after all.'

_"Actually, we do Ichigo. Performing the auswahlen causes the blood of the victims to clot. If someone collects these clot of blood, they can forge a special arrow from it known as 'the still silver'. If this arrow comes in contact with the one who performed the auswahlen, then that person's power will be stopped for just an instant. That is your window."_

'So where do I find these blood clots?'

_"You do not have to. Ryuken Ishida is already aware of what is happening. How he is aware is something we do not know. What we do know is that he is making or preparing to make the still silver."_

'I see then.' Ichigo said as he left his body, went invisible and headed straight for Ryuken's hospital. Once he arrived there, he saw Ryuken working on something with Uryu entering the room

"Ryuken." Uryu said as he entered

"Calling your father by his first name? You haven't changed at all." Ryuken said scoldingly

"It is time Ryuken. He has returned." Uryu said sternly

"I see. I still need time to finish the still silver." Ryuken said while going back to what he was doing. "Uryu, I have a feeling that Yhwach will send one of the sternritters here and invite you to join them."

"What should I do if that happens?" Uryu asked seriously

"Join them. Once you manage to catch Yhwach or the other sternritters off guard, only then will we end the wandenreich." Ryuken answered

"Very well then." Uryu said before leaving

'That's good.' Ichigo thought to himself as he observed their conversation before leaving shortly after Uryu did. 'Should I reveal myself to them?'

"**Don't. It doesn't matter either way so don't bother."**

**'**Alright then.' Ichigo thought to himself and flashed back to his house

_"So when are you planning to ambush Yhwach, Ichigo?"_

'Well, I guess when he is at the royal palace. I don't wanna deal with those treacherous bastards yet and from what you said, Yhwach wants to invade the royal palace. I'll just wait until he's there before going for the kill. What do you guys think?'

"**Sounds reasonable enough. This would also reveal if the royal guard really trusts you or not. Just keep an eye on the seireitei."**

'Alright.'

* * *

**Yeah that's right. I killed Sajin. Out of all the captains, he is the one I hate the most. I wanted him to die ever since he and Zaraki fought. Why you ask? He's arrogant. The way he talked down on Kaname during their fight really annoyed me and made me hate him more. His blind faith in the soul society also pissed me off real hard. Makes me wonder if he has a fetish of serving the place. That's not even counting how stupid his bankai is. It just makes him an easy target and for some god damn reason, nobody aimed for its head. A wise man once said 'you should have gone for the head'. I hate Sajin and I hate his powers. Don't bother to point out that his humanoid bankai in the second invasion in the canon was op. It wasn't as it has a major flaw. His opponent can just run around and wait out the time until Sajin literally loses his brain before going for the kill. Oh and I hate the soul society as well. I was never a big fan of them since Bleach began. Most of them are just annoying pricks that when I first read the manga, I was torn on who to root for although in the end I rooted for the wandenreich. The soul society is just so annoying that they are always slacking off and only doing stuff in times of crisis while literally doing nothing to prepare for it. Well, that's enough ranting I guess**

**For this chapter, any unchanged events in the first invasion means that it's the same as what happened in the canon. I was really looking forward to writing this chapter as I really loved it when the quincies first invaded in the canon so I just made my version more brutal. Oh and just to clear things up, Kisuke and Yoruichi were screwing each other while the soul society was attacked. And about the conversation between Uryu and Ryuken, I don't think it is completely unwarranted that they both knew about Yhwach considering how Uryu acted when Nel and Pesche asked for their help when the quincies attacked hueco mundo. And speaking of hueco mundo, that still hasn't happened yet in this story. That's about it I guess. Hope you hate the soul society as much as I do :P**


	37. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Six - Aftermath**

-Soul Society-

Just minutes after the quincies have left, while the soul reapers were still trying to collect themselves, an invisible pitch black humanoid creature makes its way through the squad one barracks, eventually arriving at the entrance to muken. The creature changed its shape into flames and went inside while simultaneously destroying the locks to the prison. The creature then made itself visible and it shocked the only person inside the prison as it appeared out of nowhere

"Interesting. So there is someone who can make himself invisible." Aizen commented in surprise. "Who or what are you?" he asked curiously

The one in front of Aizen chose not to respond. It simply stared at him in the eye before attempting to destroy the pillar he was bound to. The pillar was extremely sturdy and after a few minutes of hitting it, the pillar was only slightly damaged

"I see you are trying to release me. Destroying the pillar with brute force will take a long time and it will only alert the thirteen court guard squads that something is wrong down here." Aizen said calmly

The creature then decided to change its approach. To Aizen's shock, the creature changed its shape into flames before engulfing both the pillar and Aizen. After a few minutes, the flames died down and Aizen was unharmed. He was even more shocked that his bindings were now completely gone and the pillar that he was bound to was gone. Aizen did feel a bit of heat though so he figured that the pillar was melted or something and that whatever that thing was that released him, was not a living creature

Aizen just pondered his options for now. He knew that Yhwach was gonna view him as a threat now. In fact, he was always considered a threat but because of how Aizen is no longer affiliated with the thirteen court guard squads, Yhwach decided to try to get him on his side even though it should go without saying that Aizen would refuse it. At this point, invading the soul king's palace was the last thing on his mind. What he focused instead was to get rid of the people trying to control him. To do that, there was only one way, to join forces with his former allies. As he was walking to the exit, Aizen got an even better idea. He decided not to reveal his presence until a decisive battle was going on. At the exit, he found of cloak that he recognized as Kisuke Urahara's spiritual pressure concealing cloak. He then put on the cloak and mixed kido with it, effectively making him invisible in the same way he did during Isshin's fight with one of his experimental hollows

At that same time, the members of central forty six decided to return to the central underground assembly hall to hold a hearing on what the soul society would do next, as well as to elect the next head captain as they have been made aware that Yamamoto was killed just before they made their way to the assembly hall. Once inside, each members took their place but were surprised they heard the door to the assembly hall being locked as they were all seated when it happened

"Who's there?" one of the members asked

They were all met with silence

"Alert the guards that there is an intruder here." another one said

The one near a communication device then attempted to summon a messenger or alert anyone on the outside but to his surprise, the device was broken. "What? This place wasn't even attacked. How is the communicator broken?"

"So we are trapped here?" another one said

Before anymore discussion could take place, four pitch black humanoid creatures suddenly appeared out of thin air. One appeared near the door, two at the center of the hall and the last one behind where the six judges were seated

"Who are you?" one of the judges asked

"Tell us who you are, now!" another judge demanded

Again, they were met with silence which put them all on edge as they realized they were trapped with no backup. The creatures at the center then suddenly merged together and turned into a bigger humanoid creature but this time, its arms were laced with daggers. It soon launched the daggers at different directions, hitting the members of central forty six, some hit at the neck, others on the chest. Eventually, most of central forty six were dead while the creature at the center was gone as it used itself to kill most of them

"What? Who the hell are you?" one of them demanded to know but the fear was still obvious

Being the defenseless rats they were, the remaining nine members were helpless as the two creatures finished them off. Once the central forty six were all dead, the two creatures then transformed into flames before engulfing the whole interior of the assembly hall, burning everything in the assembly hall while the bodies of central forty six were turned to stone, effectively leaving the soul society leaderless

-Karakura Town-

Everyone minus Ichigo was still oblivious to what happened. Kisuke and Yoruichi were still busy screwing each other, Chad and Orihime were still busy doing whatever and for some reason, Uryu chose not to alert them

'Are you sure releasing Aizen was a good idea?' Ichigo asked his inner spirits as he was just chilling on his bed

"_It is Ichigo. Do not forget that Yhwach mentioned that Aizen refused his offer."_

_"_**Yeah. If Aizen really was an enemy, he would have joined with Yhwach. If he does join this war, he would be against Yhwach so it becomes an enemy of my enemy is my friend."**

'You do know that cuts both ways right?'

_"Perhaps. But just like you, Aizen is someone who has no affiliation to anyone and the both of you have a common goal."_

'Even if Aizen helps me, what makes you so sure he won't stab me in the back once Yhwach is dead?'

_**"**__Because of who Aizen really is. If you do find out about that, you will realize that you two are more alike than you realize."_

'Yeah well, I hope you're right.' Ichigo muttered. 'So how long do you think before they realize central forty six is dead?'

"**A few hours at most. The soul reapers by now should be assessing the status of their forces. They shouldn't be finished with that for a while. The captains would probably be mourning their precious Yamamoto and pet dog."**

'What about squad zero?'

_"The same situation. If anything, they would only take those who are in critical condition and heal them in the royal palace. They should be on their way now so it is very doubtful they would be aware that central forty six is dead."_

"**So Ichigo, you not gonna join the shopkeeper and the cat? They're still not finished."** White said with a grin

'OH HELL NO! I'm not a bloody pervert like you and those two.' Ichigo retorted with a crimson face. 'By the way, why did you tell me to kill central forty six?'

"**To keep the soul society leaderless?"**

**'**Yeah but what's the other reason?'

**"Oh, because they piss me off."**

'Seriously?'

"**Yep. When you really think about it, central forty six is nothing more than a bunch of rats and what do rats do? They run at the first of trouble. That's exactly what central forty six is. When there is trouble, they just hide inside their stupid assembly hall while hoping that the court guard squads somehow end up victorious. Honestly, if you're gonna be a leader, then at the very least you should be able to do everything the others can do." **White fumed

'So that's why? I never even thought about that.'

_"It is a good point. After all, a leader is supposed to show the followers or those under them the way. If all a leader does is sit around while those that serve under them are risking their lives, then you are no leader at all."_

"**Exactly. All that makes you is a moocher, and a spoiled moocher at that. Just living of the fortune, or in this case, protection, others can provide while being a spoiled brat where you have to be the ones followed all the time."**

**'**You know, I never thought you would actually do something to help the soul society.'

"**I'm not. True it may be good for them but their stupid traditions are stuck so far up their asses that they're just gonna replace them once this is over and considering their nature, they're gonna think that they are gonna come out on top regardless of what happens."**

Ichigo thought about this for a bit and came to realize that his inner hollow did have a point. 'That reminds me, won't the balance of souls be destroyed if the soul reapers are killed?'

"**Why are you concerned about that?"**

**'**You gotta be kidding me. You really expect me to just sit around while the worlds will collide? I might have no intention of helping the soul society but I am certainly not gonna let the worlds end up be destroyed.'

"**I see. So in that case, let me ask you. Do you think anyone has actually tried this?"**

**'**Uh no? I guess.'

"**Exactly. Don't knock it until you have actually tried it. Stuff like this require first hand testing to actually happen in order to be confirmed**."

'So you're saying that the world of the living and the soul society won't collide with one another?'

_"They will not. The truth of the matter is, that is only an assumption made based one a rumor so long ago however, it was never actually tested. Should the balance be broken, the only thing that will happen is that the precipice world will collapse however, the world of the living and the soul society will remain where they are. What keeps the two worlds apart is not the precipice world but rather, the soul king's power. Essentially, if the balance is broken, then the senkaimon will become unusable and every soul reaper would be trapped in the worlds where they are as they don't know how to use the garganta like you do."_

'But if the soul king dies, everything will still collapse?'

_"Yes, however, this collapse will take a long time before everything is in ruins. Thus, even if the soul king dies, it is possible to find a way to keep everything from being destroyed even without him."_

'How is that even possible?'

"**Well who knows. To be honest, I'm having doubts about the soul king myself."**

**'**Why is that?'

"**I'm not really sure though. We already told you about what happens if Yhwach dies however, something about it bothers me. I just can't describe it though and it feels like the there is more than what even the two of us know."**

Ichigo pondered about this for quite some time. He realized that what he was told months ago was simply not limited to what he faced before nor the truth about himself. It meant that even now, Ichigo has to keep an open mind as well as consider the possibility that what his inner spirits told him was wrong or incomplete. 'Well, we'll deal with that once this stupid war is over.'

"**Yeah, we will."**

Ichigo then decided to see if there was anything that could point out to Aizen's real identity. Since he didn't want to waste his time going to the soul society, Ichigo decided to instead use his flames he left there and turned them into a humanoid shape. He had his zombies access the computer in the daireishokairo after having it lock the entrance to the archives. Ichigo at this point was actively controlling his zombies and reading the data through it. He knew that searching for anything that concerns Aizen would be futile as the guy does know how to hide his tracks so instead, Ichigo decided to check for anything unusual. Most of the data were completely useless, at least on the topic Ichigo wanted to find out. Giving up on anything unusual, he decided to check for anything that would be similar to what his inner spirits said, which was 'betrayed by the soul society'. The first thing that he was able to find was about the Shiba clan and how they fell from grace. 'This doesn't seem right. According to Shinji, Aizen was a lieutenant a hundred years ago and the Shiba was exiled only about thirty or forty years ago. And it's not exactly a betrayal since for some god damn reason, they were exiled just because Kaien died.' Ichigo thought to himself as he was reading the information through his zombie. After a while, Ichigo finally found something worth of notice. It was how a family was ordered to be executed. According to the data, one of the members went out on a mission to the world of the living and upon return, she was suspected of treason and thus, the whole family was ordered to be killed. 'The data doesn't appear to be tampered with and the reason of suspected treason isn't here. I wonder, is this it?' Ichigo thought as he then grabbed a piece of paper and copied the information. 'This does seem to fit as it happened nearly two hundred years ago.' he thought and decided to compare it to Aizen's profile. 'Sosuke Aizen joined the court guard squads one hundred and thirty three years ago. I'm positive this is it.'

"**Maybe but I'm not gonna confirm nor deny that."**

After he had enough of searching, Ichigo was silently grateful that Zangetsu was one of the few zanpakuto who's techniques do not get cancelled or dispelled whenever he was in his human body or when he seals his shikai

-Silbern-

At the throne room, a soldat walked inside

"Casualty report." Haschwalth ordered

"Yes sir. Driscoll Berci, Jerome Guizbatt, Loyd and Royd Lloyd were the sternritter casualties. Jerome and Loyd were killed by notable threat Kenpachi Zaraki while Driscoll and Royd were killed by the head captain. As Nodt, Bazz B and Nanana were all injured from their attempted ambush on the head captain but are otherwise fine. Mask de Masculine, BG9 and Cang Du received next to no injuries from the battles they had while Giselle Giwelle and Bambietta Basterbine received some minor injuries while targetting their objectives." the soldat said while reading a piece of paper

"I see. What about the non sternritter casualties?" Haschwalth asked

"Two thousand soldats have taken part of the invasion, divided into two waves. The first wave consisted of thirteen hundred soldiers. The first wave suffered two hundred twenty three casualties. These happened when they ran into a lieutenant or captain before a sternritter was able to reach their position. Some of them were killed while they were keeping some captains and lieutenants in their positions so that they won't be able to help their comrades. The second wave, which consisted of seven hundred men, suffered no casualties as most of the thirteen court guard squads were either dead or severely injured at that point." the soldat answered while flipping the pages

"What about the captains? Which ones have had their bankais stolen?" Haschwalth asked

"From the reports the sternritters gave, it seems that Soi Fon of squad two, Byakuya Kuchiki of squad six and Toshiro Hitsugaya of squad ten have had their bankais stolen." the soldat said

"Only three? Weren't there four bankais released?" Haschwalth asked

"It seems so grand master. The last bankai released belonged to Sajin Komamura of squad seven however, Bambietta Basterbine seems to have chosen not to steal it and instead went for the kill." the soldat answered

"I see. Is there anything else you have to report?" Haschwalth asked once more

"Yes, grand master. It is about the device his majesty ordered to create. The one that will grant us access to the soul king's palace." the soldat replied

"What about it?" Haschwalth asked

"According to Askin and the others, the device is about ninety percent done and will be finished in two or three days." the soldat answered

"I see. Is there anything about this device that would warrant attention?" Haschwalth asked again

"There is, grand master. According to them, creating a device that will allow entrance to the royal palace will be next to impossible due to strength of the barriers between the soul society and the royal palace. As such, they have instead decided on a different option. Instead of making an entrance, the device will instead keep the barriers apart indefinitely should they ever be opened." the soldat explained

"This does present a problem, your majesty. If the only thing they came up with is to keep the barriers apart, then we will have to somehow find a way to get the soul reapers to keep the barriers open." Haschwalth said in a worried tone

"Not necessarily. At this point, the royal guard should be in the soul society by now and have taken those who are in a critical condition. I am familar of the methods of transport they use and they cannot use it so often. So instead, they will open up the barriers so that once those in a critical condition finally recover, they will be able to return to the seireitei." Yhwach said

"So our only play would be to invade before they have returned?" Haschwalth inquired

"Exactly." Yhwach answered

"I see." Haschwalth said before looking at the soldat. "Do you have anything else to report?"

"Negative, grand master." the soldat answered

"Very well then. You are dismissed." Haschwalth said

The soldat then gave a respectful bow and left the throne room

"It seems that the invasion was a decisive victory, your majesty." Haschwalth said

"Indeed it was Haschwalth." Yhwach responded

"How long will we wait before launching the second invasion your majesty?" Haschwalth asked

"One week. As planned, we will have silbern overtake the seireitei's structures and launch the invasion from all sides." Yhwach answered

"Yes your majesty." Haschwalth said with a bow

"However, in five days, I want the hueco mundo hunting corps to begin their invasion. Despite the situation, I doubt that Kisuke Urahara will remain in the dark for long." Yhwach ordered

"Yes your majesty. I will order them when the time comes." Haschwalth answered

-Soul Society, Three hours later-

The royal guard has just left for Kukaku's place to get back to the royal palace, bringing with them Byakuya, Rukia and Renji. While the captains were just about ready to leave the area where they mourned Komamura and Yamamoto, a messenger suddenly arrived

"What is going on?" Kyoraku asked when he saw that the messenger was hysterical

"I bring a report. Sosuke Aizen has escaped his confinement. His current location is unknown at this point." the messenger replied to which he received a wave of angry spiritual pressures from the captains, but mostly from Rose and Kensei

"Just great. As if we don't already have enough problems and now this happens. We're screwed." Shinji muttered

"I would not bet it." Kyoraku said seriously which got everyone's attention

"What do you mean by that Captain Kyoraku?" Rose asked

"If you really think about it, if Aizen was against us, why are we still alive?" Kyoraku responded to which he got curious looks

"Care to explain that?" Soi Fon said angrily

"Do you remember, back when all of us engaged Aizen, he simply cut us all down without so much as breaking a sweat." Kyoraku pointed out

"So?" Kensei said

"If Aizen has joined up with the quincies, we would all be dead by now. Since we are still alive, I believe that Aizen will become our ally in this war but the question still remains on when he will join in." Kyoraku explained

"You really expect us to work with that traitor after all he has done?" Toshiro said dangerously

"Is it pride you are talking about? Or is it dignity?" Kyoraku responded seriously to which he received confused looks. "Let me tell you then, neither pride nor dignity will stop the quincies. We have already lost the head captain so you should know how much of a disadvantage we are at. Aizen's power might help tilt the scales in our favor."

"That is a good point Shunsui but won't Aizen come for us after the war with the quincies?" Jushiro asked

"That depends. Truth be told, none of us can plan on the same level as Aizen can. The only thing we can do now is hope that Aizen won't kill us. If we're lucky, he would go back to his prison. If not, he will simply leave. Worst case scenario, he kills us. This part now, is completely out of our control." Kyoraku responded

All the captains became distrubed at this. Kyoraku did have a good point and they knew nothing could change that. Aizen defeated all of them once and he would most certainly be able to do it again. The captains then decided to begrudgingly accept it

"By the way, Captain Kurotsuchi?" Kyoraku called out

"What is it, squad eight captain?" Mayuri asked

"Were you able to contact Kisuke Urahara about what happened?" Kyoraku asked which did annoy Mayuri

"I'm afraid not and we won't be able to contact Kisuke Urahara, or anyone else for quite some time." Mayuri answered with twitching eyes

"What? Why?" Soi Fon asked in frustration. Even she had to admit that they need Kisuke's help now

"All the communications equipment in the squad twelve barracks have been completely destroyed. From the reports Akon gave me, the equipments just suddenly malfunctioned the moment that quincies set foot into the seireitei so we can only assumed they did something when they invaded." Mayuri explained

"Can't you fix them?" Unohana said in concern

"No we cannot. The squad twelve barracks appears to have been specifically targetted by the quincies. All of our equipments have been destroyed and they even destroyed our garganta. From what I heard, the senkaimon was also destroyed. It seems that we are on our own on this one. If we are to contact anyone, we will have to create everything from scratch and finding spare parts is gonna be an issue considering the damage done." Mayuri answered

"As if this day can get any worse." Shinji just muttered

Another messenger then arrived suddenly and like the previous one, this one appeared to be in a panic

"What is it this time?" Soi Fon said angrily at the messenger

"It's an emergency captains. Central forty six has been killed." the messenger said in a panicked voice

This made all the captains cringe and their spiritual pressure were all raised in anger

"What?! How did this happen?!" Toshiro demanded

"We're not sure sir. All that we know is that some of guards tried to contact central forty six to ask for directions but they were unable to. When they went to the assembly hall, they found the entrance locked from the inside. They then went to find a way to communicate with them but still no response. The guards then decided to break inside and once the door was knocked down, they found the entire assembly hall empty. The places in which the members take during meetings have been completely destroyed and the insides were all in rubble. The members on the other hand were somehow turned to stone despite lying on a pool of their own blood." the messenger said

"Aizen. It has to be him." Toshiro said dangerously

"I doubt that. From what we know about Aizen, he does not have the ability to turn anyone into stone." Unohana said thoughtfully

This did make the other captains adopt a thoughtful yet frustrated expression. The squad four captain did have a point though

"So what will we do now?" Soi Fon asked in a defeated tone

"For now, we will have to choose someone to lead us." Unohana said which grabbed everyone's attention

"But who will? The head captain is dead and we don't have the authority to choose the next one." Soi Fon asked

"No we don't. But for the time being, all of us captains should choose one among us to assume temporary command of the thirteen court guard squads. Whoever is the one chosen, must be someone all of us agree on." Unohana responded which she got contemplative looks from every single captain. "So, does anyone object to this?" she asked after a while

"None from me and I think the others agree as well." Shinji said and got no complaints from the others. "But that still leaves the question, who do we choose to be the temporary head captain?"

"I think it should be Shunsui." Jushiro said

"Why is that exactly?" Kensei asked

"Because Shunsui is the one who kept us in line. Earlier, we almost broke into fighting each other after the invasion and he was the one who calmed us down. He is also the one who has the interest of the soul society as his priority over our pride or dignity." Unohana said, indicating she agreed with Jushiro

The other captains thought about this and eventually they all agreed

"So Shunsui, would you accept being the head captain?" Unohana asked

"Well, can't really say that I'm happy with it but I'll do it." Shunsui responded with a sigh while tipping his hat

-Karakura Town, three days later-

At the Urahara shop, someone finally made it to the world of the living although it was a one way trip. The device Mayuri managed to create was only to send one or two people to the world of the living and their only way back was Kisuke's senkaimon. The one who chose to go on this trip was Hanataro Yamada and Ganju Shiba

To say that Kisuke and the others were surprised an understatement. Their jaws nearly hit the floor when the two mentioned that the soul society has been attacked and was left in ruins

"I see. So how's the situation there?" Kisuke asked after finally getting over his shock

"It's really bad. Head captain Yamamoto has been killed along with Captain Komamura. The senkaimon as well as squad twelve's barracks were completely destroyed. All of our communications equipment have malfunctioned during the invasion. Before the invasion, we had about forty two hundred men. Now we only have less than thirteen hundred." Hanataro answered in a panicked voice

"You're right. This is really bad." Yoruichi said

"It gets worse. Sosuke Aizen has escaped his prison. According to the soul reapers, the pillar holding him was destroyed somehow and someone has assassinated central forty six. They even said that some of the captain's bankai's were stolen." Ganju added

"Indeed. It was captains Soi Fon, Kuchiki and Hitsugaya's." Hanataro confirmed it

This made everyone's eyes go wide. As if them being completely unaware of the invasion wasn't bad enough

"The bankai was stolen? How is that even possible?" Tessai questioned them

"We do not know. The quincies even specifically targetted the comunications equipment and our senkaimon according to the report of captains Hirako and Kurotsuchi." Hanataro said

"Hey, come to think of it, how were you guys unaware of things?" Ganju asked

"Well, there was nothing going on here. Ever since the guy who kept killing the stealth force members went quiet, nothing suspicious was happening. We haven't even heard anything from the soul society since Shinji and the others returned to their posts." Kisuke answered

"I see." Hanataro muttered sadly

"What do we do now Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked

"Well, for now, our top priority has to be finding a way to recover the stolen bankais and find a way to prevent it from being stolen. None of us can fight the quincies on equal grounds if it keeps up like this. We will have to go to the soul society to gather some clues." Kisuke answered thoughtfully

With that, everyone except went to the underground chamber and prepared to go to the soul society. To their shock however, Kisuke's senkaimon wasn't opening

"Odd." Kisuke commented

"What's going on?" Yoruichi asked in concern

"Hmmmmm it seems something is wrong with the senkaimon." Tessai said as he walked towards it. He then checked the parts of the senkaimon and saw nothing out of the ordinary

"Is everything alright Tessai?" Kisuke asked as he approached

"Everything seems to be alright boss but for some reason the senkaimon isn't working. If we are to fix this, we will have to take it apart." Tessai answered

"So we won't be able to get to the soul society?" Hanataro asked in a worried voice

"Unfortunately so." Kisuke muttered sadly

"What now? The soul society won't survive another invasion." Ganju yelled out in a panic

"Well, for now I will try to come up with something to recover the stolen bankais. I do have some experience with quincies so it is possible for me to come up with something, no promises yet though." Kisuke said thoughtfully. "Tessai, I'll leave fixing the senkaimon to you. I need to go meet a friend."

"Alright boss." Tessai answered

"What about us?" Ganju asked

"I'm afraid you'll just have to wait. Right now, we're stuck here." Kisuke answered sadly before realizing something. "Hey Yoruichi?"

"What is it Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked

"Can I ask you to go to las noches and tell the arrancars what's happening and ask for their aid?" Kisuke asked

"Do you really think they will help us?" Yoruichi wondered

"I'm not sure but it is worth a shot." Kisuke replied

"Alright then." Yoruichi said as she and Kisuke walked to the garganta

Like the senkaimon, this one also failed to open up, which surprised them once more

"What? This thing isn't working too." Kisuke said as his attempts to open it failed

"So we can't do anything here?" Yoruichi asked in a panic

"It seems so. Right now, our only play would be to find a way to recover the stolen bankai while Tessai repairs the garganta and senkaimon." Kisuke responded

Yoruichi was angry at this information but she knew acting on it won't do anything so she just instead silently agreed. Getting an idea, she left the shop and headed straight for the visored's warehouse

-Silbern, two days later-

The hueco mundo hunting corps, which consisted of Quilge Opie, Pepe Waccabrada, Berenice Gabrielli and Nianzol Weizol entered the throne room

"Your majesty." the four said in unison

"Rise my sternritters. I assume you know of the reason you were summoned?" Yhwach asked

"Yes, your majesty. We are to begin our conquest of hueco mundo." Quilge answered

"Indeed. I want las noches conquered before we invade the royal palace." Yhwach ordered

"Yes, your majesty." Quilge replied

"You may leave now." Yhwach said

The four of them bowed at this and left the throne room. Once they were out, two sternritters entered, Candice Catnipp and Bambietta Basterbine

"You summoned us, grand master?" Candice asked as she and Bambietta knelt down

Yhwach was rather curious about what was going on so instead of interfering, he decided to see what Haschwalth was up to

"Indeed. I have a special mission for the two of you." Haschwalth said to which he got curious looks from the girls. "You two are to travel to the world of the living and kill Kisuke Urahara, or at the very least, destroy his senkaimon and garganta."

"So we are to keep him from travelling to the soul society?" Bambietta asked

"Yes. I have no doubts that Kisuke Urahara would find a way to retrieve the stolen bankais. While we cannot do anything to stop that, we can do something to keep it away from the soul reapers." Haschwalth replied

"I see. That way we can press our advantage in this war." Candice realized

"Exactly." Haschwalth nodded

"What about the invasion?" Candice asked

"Do not worry about that. You two will not join the invasion. Just focus on ensuring that Kisuke Urahara does not pose a problem." Haschwalth said

"So when do we leave?" Bambietta asked, quite annoyed at having to return to the world of the living again but at least she won't be laying low

"You leave first thing tomorrow." Haschwalth ordered

"Yes, grand master." they said in unison and with that, they immediately left

Yhwach observed the whole conversation but kept his silence. Haschwalth did have a point and he trusted him fully. Out of all the sternritters, Haschwalth is the only one that Yhwach won't question as he knows that his second in command only has the interest of the wandenreich

"I will take my leave, your majesty." Haschwalth said with a bow and Yhwach nodded. He left the throne room and went to the quarters of one of the sternritters, specifically sternritter V, Gremmy Thoumeaux. He talked with Gremmy for a while before going to a gate of the sun and heading somewhere

-Hueco Mundo-

The hueco mundo hunting corps just arrived in the menos forest and almost immediately, they picked off some ofthe weaker hollows in the vicinity

"Hey Quilge, what is the plan here?" Pepe asked

"I want to suffer minimal casualties as possible. Kill off these lesser hollows but hide your spiritual pressures. That should draw the attention of las noches." Quilge answered

"I don't get it. Why are we announcing our arrival?" Pepe asked

"We aren't. We are going to split up their forces. Since according to Quilge's orders, we are to hide our spiritual pressures, las noches will only send someone to investigate and not their full army. With that, we should be able to kill some of them before they know we are here." Berenice answered for Quilge

"Exactly." Quilge said simply

"How many former espadas are we gonna expect to face?" Berenice asked

"According to the data, only Tier Harribel and Coyote Starrk are confirmed to be alive. We don't have much information on the current arrancars that remain as it is almost impossible to install surveillance equipment here due to hueco mundo's landscape. It's just and endless desert and las noches is very secure." Quilge answered

"I see. So that is why there are four of us chosen so that we can take on the espadas two on one." Berenice realized

The hunting corps, which consisted of about fourteen hundred soldats and the four sternritters, then began their massacre of the hollows. The number of hollows suddenly dropped significantly in a matter of hours and being the low level hollows they were, they were unable to do anything to defend themselves

Eventually, las noches noticed that there was something wrong in the menos forest and all the arrancars gathered in one of the surveillance rooms

"Master Ulquiorra, the hollows in the menos forest are disappearing in an alarming rate. This isn't some accident. Someone is killing them." Rudbornn said as the others came inside

"How many have been killed already?" Ulquiorra asked

"About eight hundred and the number is rising. However, we are not detecting any spiritual pressures in the area." Rudbornn answered

"Could it be the quincies that Ichigo warned us about?" Nel asked

"It is possible." Starkk said with a thoughtful expression

"In any case, someone must go investigate this." Harribel said while looking at her fracciones

"Yes, master Harribel." the three said in unison as they realized what Harribel was gonna say

"I will also send Pesche and Dondochakka to join with you." Nel said

"Yes, master Nel." the two of them saluted. "We will ride on Bawabawa so we can get there faster."

"Very well then. Rudbornn, send some of your exequias to join the others. The five of you bring some communications device. If anything happens, alert us immediately. One more thing, do not reveal Ichigo to the quincies." Ulquiorra ordered

The five fracciones and Rudbornn then nodded at this before taking their leave. While Dondochakka was busy getting Bawabawa out, Rudbornn released his resurreccion and created an army of soldiers

"Alright then, let's go." Pesche said as he and the other arrancars got on Bawabawa along with the exequias

It didn't take long before they reached the menos forest and they came across a graveyard of hollows

"This was a bloody massacre." Apacci commented

Given the seriousness of the situation, none of the other two of Harribel's fracciones went for an argument

"Let's proceed carefully. We don't know where the enemy is." Sung Sun said which elicited nods from the others

After a while of walking, they met nothing but more and more corpses of killed hollows

"I wonder, don't quincies usually cause hollows to disappear when they kill them?" Dondochakka asked

"They do, according to Aizen's data at least. However, these bodies appear to be killed not from range but rather up close." Apacci said as she was checking out the bodies along with Mila Rose

"Indeed. It's almost as if whoever did this wanted us to find the bodies." Mila Rose added

Then, with wide eyes, they all realized this was a trap. Suddenly, the exequias were all attacked by blue arrows fired from multiple directions and promptly vanished

"Ambush!" Pesche yelled and immediately, all of them setup a defensive perimeter. It was all in vain however as there was too many arrows coming their way and they were all injured and forced to retreat

"Damn. This is bad. Should we do it?" Apacci asked her fellow fracciones as they were taking cover behind the trees and they all nodded.

The three of Harribel's fraccion then all released their resurreccions and used their left arms to create Ayon. It then began trashing the quincies and killed dozens upon dozens, killing a few hundred. Eventually though, they were all surprised when Ayon suddenly disintegrated

"What? How is this possible?" Apacci yelled in shock

The four sternritters then approached the five remaining arrancars

"I see. So las noches has sent you guys here huh?" Pepe said nonchalantly

Quilge on the other hand, has disintegrated Ayon using his sklaverei technique, however he has chosen not to absorb it yet and sealed it in a special device he had, one that was created specifically to counter the tres bestias

"This is very fortunate for us. Las noches has sent us their fracciones." Quilge said

"Damn you. I'll kill you for that!" Mila Rose yelled and attempted to charge recklessly at the sternritters. To their surprise however, a strong wind knocked her sword off course before she was suddenly injured from an unseen attack

"Mila Rose!" Apacci yelled as she saw her comrade fall to the ground

Before anyone could do anything, Mila Rose was thrown back to the others and the five arrancars were suddenly trapped in a reishi cage and despite their best efforts, they couldn't even scratch it

"What now Quilge?" Pepe asked

"Now we invade the surface and head to las noches." Quilge answered before looking at the army behind him. "Leave a few hundred men to guard the prisoners. If things go south we can use these as leverage."

"Yes sir." one of the men saluted before barking orders and soon, most of the army moved towards the surface

Quilge then notice the arrancars trying to send a distress signal via a communcation device but from the looks of things, were unsuccessful. "I apologize, but once trapped inside my jail, the ones inside cannot communicate with anyone but those who are in direct proximity."

The sternritters then left to prepare for the invasion. As they were leaving though, Apacci yelled out threats towards the quincies but it has fallen on deaf ears. None of them paid her any attention

"What now?" Apacci asked in a tone that was a mixture of anger and worry

"We can't do anything to this thing." Dondochakka added

"We wait. We have to trust our masters to be able to fend them off. Despite their large army, we basically have an infinite one thanks to Rudbornn." Pesche said calmly and qiuetly even though he was worried himself. Because of how low his voice was, none of the quincies heard it

"I hope you're right." Sung Sun said in worry

* * *

**Just to clear things up, when the hunting corps left, it was five days after the first attack. I just put two days in the indicator due to the events at Urahara shop happening three days after the invasion. This means that nothing significant happened in the wandenreich during the five days between the invasion and when the hunting corps left. As to why Rudbornn only appeared now, it will be explained in one of the next chapters**


	38. Chapter 37

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Seven - The War ****Continues**

-Las Noches-

Ulquiorra and the others were at the meeting room when suddenly Rudbornn came inside

"Master Ulquiorra." Rudbornn said

"What news from the scouting party?" Ulquiorra asked

"Their spiritual pressures have vanished just a few moments ago. Just minutes after it was gone, we detected a large number of spiritual beings coming out of the menos forest. I can now confirm that they are indeed quincies." Rudbornn answered

Harribel adopted a sad expression at this. Despite her jacket covering most of her face, it was clear in her eyes that she was sad and angry at the loss of her fraccion. Nel also had a near identical expression as she too sent hers

"I should have gone with them." Nel muttered on the verge of tears

Starrk put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. "They might still be alive Nelliel." Starrk said before looking at Rudborrn. "How did their spiritual pressure vanish?"

"It just happened almost instantly. There was a spike in spiritual pressure which indicated that the tres bestias have released Ayon. However, it disappeared after a while and things appeared to be normal. When it vanished, it happened abruptly. It did not gradually get weaker and weaker." Rudbornn explained

This did relieve the two female espadas a bit

"So they might still be alive?" Nel asked while wiping her eyes

"Indeed. If I have to guess, one of the quincies must have an ability that imprisons a target or knock them unconscious while simultaneously hiding their spiritual pressures." Rudbornn answered

"I see." Ulquiorra said before adopting a thoughtful expression

"What is it Ulquiorra?" Harribel asked

"I think they're alive. If their invasion fails, they will use your fracciones as leverage for us to surrender ourselves." Ulquiorra answered

"Ha! Fat chance." Lilynette said in an annoyed tone. "Starrk, let's kill these bastards!"

"Okay okay. I most certainly don't want to become a quincy prisoner myself." Starrk responded

"Very well then." Ulquiorra said. "How far are they from the fortress?" he asked Rudbornn

"When I last checked, they were still quite a distance away. Around nearly twenty miles to be precise but they are moving at a rapid rate but it should still be a few hours before they reach us." Rudbornn answered

"How many soldiers do they have?" Nel asked

"Just over a thousand. Nearly eleven hundred. Four of them had spiritual pressure levels that would rival one of the espadas." Rudborrn answered

"I see. Rudborrn, ready your exequias. Let's finish them as quickly as possible so we can find and rescue your fracciones." Ulquiorra said while looking at the two females. They all left the meeting room soon afterward and headed for the gates. Once they arrived, Rudbornn released his resurreccion and started to create soldiers by the hundreds

"Will we engage them out here in the desert?" Starrk asked as he was trying to gauge the distance of the enemy using his pesquisa

"That depends. Let's wait until Rudbornn finishes creating soldiers." Ulquiorra answered

"What about the soul society?" Nel asked curiously

"We'll worry about that once we deal with this." Harribel answered sternly with a hint of anger in her voice

"So what do we do now?" Lilynette asked as they watched Rudbornn create soldiers, lots of soldiers

Eventually, Rudborrn dropped his resurreccion and returned to the others

"How many were you able to make?" Harribel asked

"About seven hundred. I need to regain some of my spirit energy before I can continue to create more." Rudbornn responded, a bit worn out

"I see. Head back to your quarters and try to regain your spirit energy as quickly as you can." Harribel ordered

"What about the army?" Rudbornn asked

"Have them establish a defensive perimeter. Leave only one or two hundred soldiers to delay them." Harribel answered

"Just to be safe, I think one of us should try to get away from las noches and attack them from behind while they're distracted." Nel suggested

"Won't we be at a disadvantage since there are four of them who can rival us in strength?" Starrk asked, clearly not wanting to fight

"It would, but if timed correctly, it would distract one, if not all of them and give us an advantage." Nel asnwered

"Alright. So who should go then?" Starrk asked again

"I think it should be Ulquiorra. I mean, he has the most powerful high speed regeneration among all of us. He can even use it without releasing his resurreccion." Nel suggested once more

"I agree." Harribel said simply

"Very well then. I'll leave the main defense of las noches to you." Ulquiorra said before getting a communication device, hiding his spiritual pressure and leaving the fortress via sonido

"I will be heading inside now. I will need to regain as much spirit energy as I can." Rudbornn said before he too left but unlike Ulquiorra, he retreated to the fortress

"So what's the plan?" Starrk asked

"Rudbornn's soldiers should keep them busy and hopefully reduce their numbers. We don't know what their powers are so we should hold off on releasing our resurrecions until we need it." Harribel answered as she and most of the soldiers along with the other two headed back inside

"I thought Ichigo said that they know about us and our powers?" Nel pointed out

"Ichigo did say that but we haven't been outside hueco mundo since the winter war. I highly doubt they know that we have been preparing for this, let alone know about that. In fact, I'm sure they won't expect the amount of resistance that we plan on giving them." Starrk answered

"So that will be our ace in the hole then?" Nel asked

"Indeed." Harribel said. "Split up. We can't engage them with the three of us in the same area." she ordered and the three espadas then headed to different directions after getting their own communications device

Hours later, when the quincies were just about one and a half mile away from the fortress, Quilge ordered them to halt

"What is it, hunting captain?" one of the soldats asked

"Split up. The two espadas, Coyote Starrk and Tier Harribel, have abilities that cause massive area of effect damage. It will cause severe casualties if we were to attack from one entry point. Split up in different directions and break down the walls of the fortress and launch the assault from there. Berenice, Pepe, you two will lead each of the separate detachment. Nianzol and I will assault the main gates." Quilge ordered

The soldats then divided themselves into three groups with each containing a little over three hundred soldats. Once they have divided, one group headed to the left of the main attacking force which was led by Pepe and the other went to the right led by Berenice

"Let's try to attack the main gates before they get into position so we can take the fortress in a pincer movement." Quilge ordered once the others have detached and soon, his group then rushed towards the main gates

Rudbornn, who instead of going back to his quarters, went towards the control room to monitor the invades. Once he noticed that they split up, he had his soldiers split up as well while at the same time, stationed them above the canopy of las noches. He notified the other espadas, Ulquiorra included via his communicator, about this and they too prepared themselves for the attack. Starrk then recommended a change of plan. Instead of delaying them, the exequias would instead ambush them inside the fortress itself to which the other espadas agreed. The exequias was then divided into three groups with a little over two hundred per group and went to where the espadas were

Not long after, the main gates was under siege which alerted the espadas that the threat has finally arrived. Since Nel was the closest to it, she was the one who headed to the area near the gates. Rudbornn noticed this as well from the control room and has notified Ulquiorra about it. Since he has opened up all the communicators that the espadas had, they were all on the same page. Starrk and Harribel already headed to the different, most likely areas the quincies would break through. Under Harribel's advice, Ulquiorra was to let the battles go on for a bit for maximum effectiveness for when he backstabs them

"Bring the gates down." Quilge ordered and the soldats began creating various equipment using the reishi around them and attacked the gates with it. Soon enough, the gates fell and the main attacking force stormed the fortress

They were greeted with yet another desert but at least there were structures. The quincies immediately set up defensive perimeters around one of them and used it as a forward base

"This is suspicious hunting captain. Nobody has come to defend." one of the soldats said

"Indeed it is soldat. The arrancars probably have a trap nearby." Quilge replied as he realized what the arrancars were up to. "Proceed with caution. The enemy already knows we are here while we do not know their exact locations. Be sure that everything in your immediate vicinity is clear before proceeding." he ordered

"Yes sir." the soldats said in unison before scanning everything they could scan

As the army was about to move further, the exequias that were originally supposed to delay them appeared behind the main attacking force, right through the gates and began killing the quincies, who were caught off guard by the attack. When they finally realized what was going on, they immediately engaged the exequias and with their superior numbers, they were able to best them. They did however, suffer casualties and it was a rather decent amount

"I thought so. This was a trap. Leave about ten to sixty troops to defend our rear before proceeding." Quilge ordered and some of them decided to form a defensive perimeter at the gates

When they have pushed forward some more, they were once again ambushed by more exequias. This time however, they were more prepared and suffered less casualties, or so they thought when suddenly, a violet cero came their way and killed a lot of their soldats. Quilge and Nianzol looked at their attacker and were surprised when they saw that it was Nelliel, who was now in her adult form instead of her child form

"It seems the daten was off. We really should have had found a way to gather more intel on hueco mundo." Quilge muttered before ordering the soldats to attack her

Before they could make to her however, multiple hollows suddenly emerged from beneath the desert and a large battle then took place

On a different part of las noches, Pepe's detachment has just broken through the wall. Like with Quilge, they were backstabbed by the exequias again however, they left their backside open as they suffered a lot more than Quilge did due to how the soldats got a bit spent on breaking the wall

"Lord Pepe, what should we do now?" one of his soldats asked as they managed to fend of the exequias

Pepe thought about it for a second before finally making up his mind. "Let's just move quickly. We have to get to Quilge's location from our end. He is already inside the fortress and is engage in a battle along with the main attack force. Let's go reinforce them." he ordered

His detachment then moved quickly through the fortress desert when suddenly, tentacles came out of the ground and began killing the soldats. They immediately moved to engage the tentacles before a very large octopus like hollow with over twelve tentacles came out of the sand, and more tentacles came and attempted to attack from different directions

Pepe immediately used his staff to fire off some arrows and blew off some of the tentacles. Before he could kill the hollow though, someone flashed to his location and kicked him off his basket, sending him flying into one of the nearby buildings

"Lord Pepe!" one of the soldats yelled before he was cut down by their attacker, which was none other than Tier Harribel. Before the soldats could attack her, more hollows and another group of exequias then appeared and another large battle took place

With Berenice, it was going rather smooth. She ended up in the place where Ichigo and his group first entered las noches and was moving through the undergound of las noches in the area where the privaron espada once stayed. Her group soon made it towards Szayelapparo's palace, which was still in ruins and arrived at the surface of las noches. Feeling the battles around, Berenice pondered her options

"What should be our first priority, Lady Berenice?" one of her soldats asked

"The battles are raging on and two espadas are already engaged. We should try to find and take over the main control room so we can have an easier time conquering this place." Berenice said

"Alright you heard the lady. Let's move out." the soldat ordered

"We must be quick though. We're gonna run into our enemies sooner or later. Let's try to get there before we are engaged." Berenice said and with that, they all moved out

While they were busy checking the nearby structures for any signs of the main control room, the side of the structure they were on suddenly exploded, indicating that a cero had been shot right at their location. The blast did kill a bunch of quincies and Berenice looked out the whole from the blast and saw Coyote Starrk standing there with Lilynette beside him

"We're found out. If Starrk is here, then who the hell are the other two espadas that are in battle right now?" Berenice muttered. "Kill him."

The soldats then moved to engage Starrk who just nonchalantly fired a bunch of ceros, causing them to split up otherwise a single cero would wipe them all out. When they neared Starrk, more exequias appeared and soon, the quincies were forced to sword fighting due to the close proximity, making their usual bows a poor choice

Rudbornn noticed that the battles have been joined from the control room with Nelliel being the first to engage and Starrk and Harribel engaging the invaders a few minutes after Nel did. He noticed that the exequias were being killed and that the hollow army have now been called into play. Deciding to tilt the numbers in their favor, Rudbornn went outside the control room and released his resureccion, creating a few hundred more soldiers and having them split up to the different battles

Quilge, who was still engaged in battle against some hollows, decided to call in a status report. Both Pepe and Berenice reported that they were fine, but their detachment have otherwise suffered heavy losses and were now all engaged in battle. Realizing that they might actually fail and seeing that more exequias were coming, he used his communication device to contact the group left in the menos forest

"This is Quilge. Contact Silbern that the daten was off and Nelliel tu Odelschwank is back to her adult form. Inform them that the exequias are alive as well and there's no end to them. Our assault will fail at this rate. We need immediate reinforcements." Quilge ordered with the soldat on the other side giving an affirmative. He was aware that he still had the prisoners to bargain with, but Quilge was not willing to make a deal with las noches. WIth the intel from the daten inaccurate, he had a very good case to request reinforcements without being punished for his failure to quickly take over las noches

-Silbern-

While the war in las noches was happening, a soldat came inside the throne room just as Uryu Ishida was drinking Yhwach's blood and becoming a sternritter

"What is it?" Yhwach asked as he, Haschwalth and Uryu looked the soldat

"Your majesty, executive hunting captain Quilge Opie has requested reinforcements. It appears that the daten was off. Former third espada Nelliel tu Odelschwank, who we originally thought to be a child, is now back to full power as an adult. The hunting captain has also mentioned that a group known as the exequias are giving them incredible resistance due to their limitless numbers. There are also three espadas currently engaging the hunting corps." the soldat answered

"I see. So what should we do your majesty?" Haschwalth asked. He wanted to berate Uryu about it but he knew he couldn't as Uryu was not even on silbern when the hueco mundo invasion happened

"It seems that we have miscalculated. Contrary to what we were able to gather, there are more than two espadas alive. Is there anyone else we should know about?" Yhwach asked, looking at Uryu

"Yes, your majesty. Among all of Sosuke AIzen's espadas, the ones who are still alive are Coyote Starrk, Tier Harribel, Ulquiorra Cifer and Nelliel tu Odelshwanck." Uryu answered

"I see. It seems our calculations were off. Send fifteen hundred soldats to reinforce Quilge at once." Yhwach ordered

"But your majesty, what about the invasion on the soul society? Dispatching that many troops to hueco mundo would hamper our manpower." the soldat asked

"It will not. As all of the remaining sternritters, including the schutzstaffel, are going to take part in the next invasion on the soul society, it will not make that much of a difference if our manpower is cut in half." Haschwalth explained

"I see. Yes, your majesty." and with that, the soldat left the throne room

Uryu was not comfortable at all at what was happening. He was friends with Nel and he most certainly did not want hueco mundo to be involved. However, he knew there was no time for that and he must focus on the matter at hand

-Hueco Mundo, Menos Forest-

The fifteen hundred soldat reinforcements immediately arrived at the main forward base of the hunting corpse, the area where they captured the fracciones

Ulquiorra had entered the menos forest just minutes earlier, however, he had to be extremely careful about enemy patrols and as such, it took him quite a while to locate the prisoners. When he was about to eliminate their forward base, the reinforcements had just arrived and from what Ulquiorra felt, it had more troops than the invasion force that was headed for las noches. He took out his communicator and contacted las noches

"Rudbornn, this is Ulquiorra. The enemy have requested reinforcements and at least one thousand troops have come." Ulquiorra said into his comms

"I see. This is very troubling. Right now, the battles here in las noches are about even. If those reinforcements come, we will be screwed." Rudbornn replied with worry

"Indeed. I have located Nelliel and Harribel's fracciones. They are currently capture in some sort of reishi prison. However, given the situation, I will have to ambush the reinforcements while they are en route to las noches." Ulquiorra said

"Yes, master Ulquiorra. I will inform the others of the situation." Rudbornn said before hanging up with Ulquiorra and heading back inside the control room. He then contacted the other espadas. Despite the three of them being in the middle of a battle, the managed to answer their comms but were not able to speak due to being occupied. "Masters Harribel, Starrk and Nelliel, master Ulquiorra has located the missing fracciones. He was unable to move in for a rescue due to over a thousand enemy reinforcements arriving in the menos forest. He will move in to the rescue once the reinforcements have been dealt with." he reported to the espadas

The two female espadas were not particularly happy about it. They wanted to rescue their fracciones but they also understood that it would be bad for all of them if the enemy reinforcements arrived

At this point, Starrk had already released his resurreccion, considering that Lilynette was not much of a fighter, he figured that it would be best if Lilynette was in pistol form, much to her chagrin. Since Starrk also had a bunch of hollows and an army exequias fighting Berenice's group, he just decided to fire weaker ceros to avoid friendly fire while also doing damage to the quincies

Harribel, along with the hollows and her army of exequias, were engaged in close quarter combat with the quincies. The octopus hollow with her only have about seven tentacles left. The quincies have managed to wound it but they were still pressured. Right now, the quincies' only play was to hold their positions until reinforcements arrived. Eyeing each other, both Harribel and Pepe tried to attack each other and ended up in a close quarter swordfight, which was at a disadvantage for Pepe

Nel has had the worst luck ever. She realized that the main attacking force was the one that had two of the four espada level quincies and they were having the advantage in the battle. While Nel was busy cutting down quincies, she realized she would lose this without any help. She quickly summoned more hollows and soon, more of the exequias arrived. The battle was still far from over due to how she was at a disadvantage. What really made the battles interesting, is that neither Nelliel nor Harribel released their resurreccions along with the sternritters they were facing as they waited for the other to make the first move and as such, were only fighting a conventional battle

In the desert outside las noches, the reinforcements have left for las noches and are moving across the desert as fast as they could. However, this was gonna be a long trek due to how big las noches appeared despite the great distance from their location towards the fortress. The request for backup sounded urgent and it really was, considering how the arrancars had the upper hand. As they were traversing the desert, a green cero suddenly shot from the side and completely cut the reinforcement group in half. The quincies looked towards the direction it came from and saw an arrancar staying there. Based on his features, they surmised that this must be Ulquiorra Cifer. Not long after that, a small army of Gillians and a decently sized army of hollows were walking out from a different entrance to the menos forest

"Oh crap. This is gonna be a tough battle. You guys go ahead to reinforce Quilge and the others and tell him of our situation." the soldat in charge said and the ones who were closest to las noches immediately abandoned this fight and headed to reinforce their comrades. Most of them did not go far though as another cero from Ulquiorra killed over half of them

"Damn it. Keep Ulquiorra away from las noches." the same soldat said and they engaged the hollow army

"Gillians, attack." Ulquiorra said and each of the gillians fired ceros, forcing the quincies to split up, while tried to chase after the reinforcements heading for las noches. However, despite the difference in power between them and the arrancar, the quincies sacrificed a lot of them just to ensure that Ulquiorra won't kill them. He had already killed over a hundred quincies with just his cero alone and they were still determined to ensure they get to las noches. Taking out his communicator, he contacted Rudbornn, who answered and connected the call with the other espadas. "Rudbornn, this is Ulquiorra. I've attacked the enemy reinforcements however I won't be able to stop them all."

"How many reinforcements can we expect?" Starrk asked

"Not much more than five hundred." Ulquiorra answered

"This is bad. We'll have to finish these guys off before the reinforcements gets here." Nel said

"Do not worry about that. I will create more soldiers and have them delay their reinforcements for as long as they are able." Rudbornn said

"Very well, do it quickly Rudbornn. These quincies are relentless and are willing to sacrifice themselves for their cause." Harribel said

With that, Rudbornn ended the communication and went outside the control room again and created a few hundred more soldiers and sending them outside the fortress via a different entrance

The other reinforcements who were unable to head to the fortress were still engaged with Ulquiorra's army. Despite their superior numbers, the gillians didn't go down easy and with Ulquiorra himself joining the fight, it became worse for them

"Contact Quilge already." the soldat in charge yelled

"Yes, sir." another soldat said before Quilge finally picked it up. "Hunting captain, your request for reinforcements have been approved however, we were ambushed while en route towards las noches. Out of the fifteen hundred soldats sent, only a little over five hundred managed to escape and head to the fortress."

"I understand." Quilge said before hanging up. "Nianzol, I'll leave this to you. I will go help out our reinforcements who were ambushed." he ordered to which Nianzol nodded. With that, Quilge used hirenkyaku to flash outside of the fortress and headed straight to where a massive battle in the desert was taking place

At the menos forest, the quincies stationed there were still obeying their orders. From the spiritual pressure they felt, it became clear that the reinforcements were ambushed however they chose not to help as per the hunting captain's orders to guard the prisoners

"Man this is so boring. How many hours has it been since we left silbern anyway?" one of the men asked

"Stop complaining. At least we're not dying out here." another one berated him

"You're right. But you still didn't answer my question." the first one said

"Well, when we left silbern, it was in the afternoon and almost dusk. If I had to guess, about nineteen hours to nearly a whole day. Whatever the case, it should only be afternoon." the second guy answered

"This place is so disorienting. You can never tell how much time has passed." the first guy commented

"Yeah. Let's just hope the hunting captain and the others finish this quickly." the second guy agreed

-Karakura Town, a few hours before the battle has been joined in las noches-

It was still early, but not too early, in the morning in the world of the living. At the Urahara Shop, the remaining visored gathered in the training grounds, trying to sharpen their skills while Tessai tried to fix the senkaimon

"Tessai, have you found anything?" Kisuke asked as he and Yoruichi approached Tessai

"There is boss. Most of this structure is okay. It took a while but when I managed to take it apart, I noticed that some of the components have been turned to stone." Tessai answered

"Turned to stone? What do you mean?" Yoruichi asked

"Have a look." Tessai said as he let the two observe his findings

"What... is this?" Yoruichi asked as she noticed the parts of the structure turned to stone

"I don't know. These were really in the interior of the senkaimon and it took a lot more than simply opening it up to find the problem." Tessai answered

"Have you tried fixing it?" Kisuke asked as he touched the stone

"I did but I can't. The stone is too sturdy to remove. I might end up destroying the entire structure and we won't be able to get to the soul society in time." Tessai said regretfully

"Hey baldy!" Hiyori called out. "What's taking so long?"

"Someone turned the senkaimon to stone." Kisuke answered as he walked to the visored

"Stone?" Lisa asked

"Yes. For some reason, some parts of the senkaimon has turned into stone. I can only assume someone deliberately did it as the materials used to make it isn't supposed to turn into anything." Kisuke said sadly

"Big deal. Why don't we just open a senkaimon with our zanpakuto?" Hiyori grumbled

"If we did that, we would be stuck in the dangai. Since the soul society's senkaimon is destroyed, there won't be any way for us to exit the precipice world and enter the soul society." Kisuke answered

"So we still can't do anything?" Hacchi asked in a concerned voice

"Unfortunately, we cannot." Kisuke answered. "I will try to contact a friend though to see if he can help with out situation."

At Ichigo's house

Ichigo just woke up and headed downstairs. Technically, he didn't wake up as he was keeping an eye in the soul society. They still have not repaired their senkaimon and are also preparing real hard for when the quincies would return

When Ichigo finally got downstairs, his father motioned for him to go to the clinic. Ichigo did wonder what this was about but he had a pretty good idea about it

"What is it dad?" Ichigo asked as he entered the clinic

"Close the door." Isshin said to which Ichigo did so. "Listen, Ichigo. I haven't been completely honest with you. I really wish I could tell you everything, believe me."

"Don't worry about it. You can tell me when you feel like it." Ichigo said nonchalantly

"Maybe, but I might not get the chance." Isshin said and received a curious look from his son. "The soul society has been attacked Ichigo. Their senkaimon and communication equipment were all destroyed. Kisuke wasn't even aware of the attack until the soul society managed to send someone here."

Not wanting to make his dad suspiscious, Ichigo pretended to be surprised and grabbed his father by the collar. "What?! Who did this?! How are Rukia and the others?!" he asked in an angry tone although it was nothing more than an act

"I don't know how they are yet. Kisuke's senkaimon has also suffered some malfunctions. He called me to see if I can do anything to help with it." Isshin answered

Ichigo let go of his father then and looked in defeat. "Just don't get yourself killed ok?"

"I won't, son." Isshin said before leaving his gigai. "I'll see you soon Ichigo." he said and left for the Urahara shop

Ichigo wanted to complain about it but he knew he couldn't. His plans to let the soul society die was now ruined because of his dumbass father. However, he thought about it for a few moments. He knew he still had quite a large volume of flames left in the soul society, including the ones he left in the soul society. If the worst comes to pass, Ichigo will be forced to have the flames kill the ones attempting to kill his father or Kisuke but if it was anyone else, he would just let them die. He did consider if he would help the visored but ultimately decided not to as he wanted to ensure that his stupid old man didn't get himself killed

"**Talk about nice acting. I am impressed."** White commented

Ichigo just smirked at the comment before telling his sisters that he was going out and left the house while at the same time, have some of his creatures scattered around town go to the Urahara shop and keep and eye on them

As he was just casually walking around, he got hungry and realized that he forgot to eat his breakfast. Cursing himself, Ichigo headed to the nearest food stall before he felt Bambietta and someone else enter the town. A few minutes later, another one also arrived but this one appeared to have been suppressing his spiritual pressure. Instead of all creatures going to Kisuke's shop, Ichigo had one keep an eye on Bambietta and her companion, which was a lime green haired girl and the other guy, who was a male blonde

* * *

**I managed to finish this one early so here it is. Just to clear things up, the battles in las noches happened in the afternoon, late in the afternoon while the parts mentioned that happened in karakura town happened at around past eight or nine. I don't think it would be that unbelievable since I never mentioned what times it were and I only decided on them now**

**To avoid confusion, I decided to redo some of the terminology in the story, at least the similar abilities of Ichigo's, Giselle's and Rudbornn's abilities**

**For Ichigo, his will now be called as 'creatures' or 'flames'**

**For Giselle, it will be referred to as 'zombies'. This was originally the one called for Ichigo's but I decided to change it and give it over to her since it's more fitting**

**For Rudbornn, it will be called as 'exequias' or 'soldiers'. Any of the two as the sentences in the story requires**

**This change will be for this chapter onwards**


	39. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Eight - The Rescue**

-**Karakura Town**-

As Isshin just left for the Urahara Shop, Ichigo decided to keep and eye on the three quincies who came while walking around trying to find some food. It also was rather strange. Just hours ago, he felt another quincy enter the town and left with Uryu. He figured that the wandenreich decided to recruit him for whatever reason and then he remembered that was Ryuken's instruction to his son. Since Bambietta was in town, Ichigo knew something was up. He did wonder if the girl with her was the Candice she mentioned before

With Bambietta and Candice

"So this is karakura town huh?" Candice asked as she observed the town

"Yeah. This place is so boring I don't know how I managed to survive that damn mission." Bambietta muttered

"You seem so uptight?" Candice asked curiously

"It's just, I get the feeling that something is wrong, like horribly wrong." Bambietta answered

"Why is that?" Candice asked again

Bambietta wished that she could tell Candice about what she knows, but if she did, she knew that Ichigo would have her head for it. "I dunno. It's just one of those things like where you watch a movie and the characters are being stupid and you know something bad is gonna happen."

"I think you've stayed here for too long." Candice laughed out loud

"Maybe I have." Bambietta said with a smirk

"So where do you suppose Kisuke Urahara is?" Candice asked

"Well, if I had to guess, in his shop." Bambietta answered before looking at a certain direction. "It's that way." she said before flashing away to which Candice followed

Eventually, the two of them stopped and a rooftop which overlooked a certain pathway. "What's wrong Bambi?" Candice asked

Bambietta pointed to the pathway, which was about a couple blocks away. "It's over there. On the other end of that path is where Kisuke Urahara has his shop."

"So what do we do?" Candice asked curiously

"I have no idea." Bambietta answered

This made Candice fall comically in shock. "What? Seriously?"

"Yeah I'm serious. I'm not really confident we can take on Kisuke Urahara. I even suspect that he has gathered some allies now. We may be sternritters but even we have to be careful." Bambietta answered seriously

"Well, that is true. If I recall correctly, there were still some of those guys that Sosuke Aizen turned into experiments in this town. Think we'll run into them?" Candice asked seriously

"I'm not really sure. I have no doubts that he is aware of what happened in the soul society. However, it is rather weird that they haven't gone to the soul society yet." Bambietta answered with a thoughtful expression. It really was a mystery why Kisuke would still be here. 'I wonder...'

Before they could do anything, they suddenly felt someone approach them from behind

"Gremmy? What are you doing here?" Bambietta asked as she and Candice turned around

Gremmy didn't answer and just looked at the girls in front of him which put the both of them on edge. They were aware that other than their little group, they really didn't care much about the other sternritters and they knew that if they let their guard down, the others would use that chance to get rid of them or worse

"She asked you a question Gremmy." Candice said after Gremmy chose not to respond

Instead of answering, the rooftop they were on suddenly melted. The girls noticed this and immediately went away to safety

"What are you doing?" Candice asked in anger

"Sorry about this girls. I don't know why, but for some reason, Haschwalth wanted Bambietta dead." Gremmy finally spoke which shocked Candice. Bambietta on the other hand, wasn't that shocked as Zangetsu had already told her that this might happen. "So Candice, join with me or be branded as a traitor."

"Hell no!" Candice replied instantly which shocked Gremmy and even Bambietta. "Why does Haschwalth even wanna kill Bambi?!" she asked furiously

"I don't know. I never asked. All he said was that he sent you girls out for a mission and I was to kill Bambietta. So either you're gonna fight with me or against me." Gremmy said before creating machine guns and firing them at the girls

Bambietta and Candice were forced to run away and dodge as there were too many of them. Eventually, the guns stopped firing and they were now far away from where they were

"Candi..." Bambietta said but was cut off

"No need to say anything Bambi. No way in hell I'm just gonna turn on a friend like that." Candice said sternly before small meteors came their way and they were forced to dodge

Once they dodged it, Candice turned around and fired lightning bolts at an approaching Gremmy while Bambietta fired some reishi bombs at him. Gremmy just imagined some metal barriers into existence which blocked both of their attacks. Using this chance, Bambietta flashed as fast as she could behind Gremmy and delivered a wound on his back side, which caused him to lose his focus and dropped the barriers. Candice took this chance and sent a large lightning bolt at him, knocking him to a building before he fell to the ground as Bambietta flashed back towards Candice

"Now this is weird. Why aren't there any humans here?" Bambietta asked as she noticed the emptiness around them

"That's what you're worried about? We're making some noise here." Candice retorded dumbfounded. "We should be worrying about what happens if anyone comes here and kills the both of us."

"Do not worry about that girls." Gremmy said as he got up and miraculously, the building was suddenly fixed, much to their shock while he appeared to be unfazed by the attacks. "Haschwalth wanted this to be a clean assassination, so don't worry about attracting anyone's attention. We're all alone out here. Even if you somehow manage to kill me, everything will be as if nothing happened." he responded before summoning a very familiar face, Guanael Lee. "Kill them." he ordered

"Gladly. A waste of lovely ladies though." Guanael replied before suddenly vanishing

Candice and Bambietta immediately split up as they knew that he could suddenly come out of nowhere. Candice decided to summon two lightning swords and was cautiously looking around. Suddenly, Candice was slashed from behind and she immediately retaliated against Guanael. To her surprise, her sword just phased right through him before she was knocked towards the side of a building. Bambietta instanly flashed towards the two and attempted to cut down Guanael, before suddenly, she forgot what she was even doing in this specific spot in the first place

"What am I doing?" Bambietta muttered before she too was suddenly kicked away and was knocked beside Candice

"Damn. That ability to vanish from the minds of others." Candice cursed as she picked herself up

"I have an idea." Bambietta said as Candice looked at her curiously. "Don't think about Guanael. Just go to his location and make him vanish." she said as she eyed their opponent who was just floating in mid air

Candice did just that and flashed to Guanael, who instantly vanished from sight and mind

"Fire lightning bolts." Bambietta yelled out. Without even knowing why, Candice did what her friend said and fired lightning bolts all multiple directions. Eventually, it hit Guanael and this time, he was the one knocked down to the ground. Bambietta took this chance and caused the area he was knocked explode. Guanael wasn't even given the chance to escape as Bambietta stabbed him right in the stomach, released her vollstandig and created a huge explosion, killing him once and for all. "At least that's over with." Bambietta said as Candice approached her while she dropped her vollstandig

"You use vollstandig that much?" Candice curiously asked

"Yeah I actually do. I wanna get my fights over with quickly." Bambietta replied before suddenly, more small meteors came raining down. The two of them have completely forgotten about Gremmy but instead of dodge, Candice released her own vollstandig and fired lightning bolts at every single meteor, causing them to be destroyed before they even got close

The two of them turned around and saw Gremmy just casually walking towards them. The girls were then suddenly shocked as Gremmy created a massive barrier around them which can only mean that they were now inside a pocket dimension. Instead of attacking them directly, Gremmy created two very large dragons from out of nowhere

The dragons then roared at the two before Gremmy spoke. "Kill those two." and with that, the dragons charged at the two girls

"That bastard! He's just toying with us." Candice yelled as she fired lightning bolts again but they had no effect on the dragons. The two of them were forced to jump away as the dragons reached them and tried to crush them with their claws

"Tell me about it." Bambietta responded and tried to make the dragons' claws explode but it barely left a scratch. "Damn it. This isn't gonna be easy." she grumbled as they were dodging the dragons fiery breaths

"What's wrong girls? Why are you running away?" Gremmy said tauntingly and sent the dragons to charge at them again

Both girls dodged again and were still forced on the defensive due to how vicious the dragons were attacking them. Having no other choice, the girls then released their vollstandigs and were able to fight the dragons on equal grounds. The two separated the dragons to different areas and fought them separately

Candice was having a rather difficult time due to the amount of resistance the dragon had towards her powers. The dragon attempted to devour her but she managed to dodge its fangs and fired her electrocution technique right at its mouth, which caused the dragon to roar in pain. The dragon then used its fiery breath at her and managed to inflict some burn on her

"My hair!" Candice yelled out as her hair was now ruined. "YOU GOD DAMN BEAST!" she yelled before firing a really large electrocution at the dragon. It did not outright kill it but was heavily injured as most of its body was now fried. The dragon attempted to walk its way toward Candice but was futile. Candice just flashed towards the fallen dragon before neatly slicing its head off. "My hair's all ruined now."

Bambietta on the other hand, was having still busy dodging the dragon she was fighting. Like with Candice, the dragon was still going for the devour first before anything else. Unlike the dragon that Candice fought, this one was agile as was really putting pressure on Bambietta. The dragon soon had Bambietta underfoot but was about to eat her but since she was in her vollstanding, Bambietta blew off the dragon's leg and caused it to fall. She immediately flashed away to safety. When the dragon fell, it used its spiky tail to attack her and inflicted some wounds. Now pissed off, Bambietta unleashed a very large barrage of reishi bombs at the dragon before it got up. Soon, the dragon was finally killed

The girls then met up with each other and saw that they were both injured from their attackers. "You got beat up too huh?" Candice said

"And your hair's all messy." Bambietta retorted with a smile

"I know. That damn beast." Candice quickly responded before the two of them looked at Gremmy. "We still have no way to get out of here."

Having had enough of the two, Gremmy spoke. "I see you two really are worthy of your titles as sternritters." he said before suddenly, Candice was covered in multiple deep wounds and lost consciousness

"Candice!" Bambietta yelled as her friend suddenly fell to the ground, injured

"You wanna know what my epithet is?" Gremmy asked as Bambietta glared at him while holding Candice's body. "It is 'V' as in the visionary. Anything I imagine becomes a reality. You understand don't you? I just imagined your friend covered in wounds and it became reality. Now then." he said and just as Bambietta was gonna attack him, she was suddenly impaled right in her stomach

Bambietta turned around and saw a a spear coming out of the ground, piercing her body. This caused her to cough up blood as Gremmy then had the spear disappear

"I think I've had enough of you. Time to die." Gremmy said coldy while summoning the top half of a guillotine right above them. Bambietta could only watch helplessly while Candice was still unconscious

Suddenly, they were all distracted when a massive crack appeared in the dimension they were in

"Odd. No one should be able to come in here without my permission." Gremmy said thoughtfully

Their attention were soon taken when the guillotine was suddenly cut into pieces

"What?!" Gremmy yelled in shock. "Who's there?!" he yelled to no one in particular

Before Gremmy could do anything, his head was suddenly sliced off from his body. When it fell to the ground, it was crushed underfoot. His killer was a guy wearing a camouflage colored suit. Soon enough, the dimension Gremmy created started to disappear but for some reason, his powers repaired the damage caused by the battle, most likely due to his orders to keep this as quiet as possible so his powers persisted through his death

"Hey. You guys okay?" Ichigo asked as he turned Gremmy's body to stone before crushing it

"Not really." Bambietta said as she slowly got up. She was now fully powering up her blut vene just to be able to move. "Thanks for the save."

"Don't mention it." Ichigo said as he picked up Candice with a slight blush. He had never been like this with a girl and especially not one who was scarcely dressed. However, Ichigo just sucked it up as Candice was injured. "Come on. Let's get her to your house."

"My house?" Bambietta asked curiously

"Yeah. It's still empty and no one ever bothered to take a look there. It's a thing here. Around this time of the year, people go somewhere else for vacation so it's normal for a house to be empty for a few weeks." Ichigo said

"Oh I see. Let's go then." Bambietta said in realization

"You guys didn't do anything to it once you returned right?" Ichigo asked. "I know I didn't feel anyone live in that house since you left."

"Nope. Just a few days after I got back we already attacked the soul society." Bambietta answered as she and Ichigo walked toward the place she stayed before. Throughout their conversation though, Ichigo didn't bother to remove his mask

Soon enough, the three of them arrived at the house and Ichigo put Candice down on the couch

"So I take it this is Candice?" Ichigo asked as he removed his mask

"Yeah. Thanks for the save, really." Bambietta said as she sat down. She attempted to remove her shirt so she could have a look at her wound

This caused blood to shoot at Ichigo's face and he immediately turned around

"What's wrong Ichigo? Never seen a woman naked before?" Bambietta teased before she began to cough from her wound

"Shut up!" Ichigo grumbled. "I'm going out. I'll try to see what I can find that will help get rid of those wounds." he said before putting on his mask and leaving

Bambietta decided to check her room for anything that could be used to treat the wounds and found a few bandages. It wasn't long before Bambietta treated her own wound which caused it to be much better. She then did the same to Candice. Once Bambietta finished, Candice regained consciousness a few minutes later

"Bambi?" Candice said which grabbed Bambietta's attention. "Where are we?"

"At the house I stayed in when I was in town." Bambietta answered

This made Candice's eyes go wide as she just realized that they have been fighting Gremmy. "Where's Gremmy? What happened?" she asked in a panic which caused her to cough from her own injuries. "Damn that Gremmy. That bloody hurts and my hair's all ruined."

"Don't worry about it. Gremmy's dead." Bambietta answered which calmed her down

"So you were able to beat him?" Candice asked before taking off her clothes which were now really dirty, so she could go clean the blood up

"Nope. Actually, someone saved us." Bambietta said while looking down

"Really? Who?" Candice asked curiously

Bambietta was silent for a few minutes. She really didn't know how to handle this situation. Just when Candice was about to ask again, the door opened

"Hey Bambi. I got some stuff to help you out." Ichigo said as he closed the door and removing his mask. When he turned around, his face immediately went red and looked away and dropped the stuff on the floor. "Damn it woman can you put your freaking clothes on!" he yelled in embarrassment

"Is that... Ichigo Kurosaki?" Candice asked as she recognized the orange hair

"Yeah it's me. Go get yourself a change of clothes already!" Ichigo retorted and threw one of the bags he brought with him

Candice and Bambietta then decided to tend to their wounds with the stuff Ichigo brought in and cleaned themselves up along with changing outfits. Once they were finished, they went back to the living room

"So, you're Ichigo Kurosaki huh? I'm Candice Catnipp." she said casually

"Yeah that's me alright." Ichigo responded

"You still have you're powers? And somehow, you must be Bambi's boyfriend then?" Candice said nonchalantly which made blood shoot into Ichigo's face again. "Makes me wonder why she chose to keep it a secret though."

Before Ichigo could protest, Bambietta sat down and spoke. "He's not my boyfriend Candi." she said and got a curious look from her friend. Bambietta then explained everything to her after getting a nod of approval from Ichigo

"I see so that's what happened." Candice said, understanding the situation. "You know, I never would have thought you had it in you to do things like that Ichigo."

"Yeah well, I'm no longer the same person I once was." Ichigo replied

"But if you knew about us for months now, why didn't you warn the soul society?" Candice curiously asked to which Bambietta also looked with interest. Ichigo had never really told her about what happened and why he has gone rogue

Ichigo then decided to explain on how he discovered the thirteen court guard squads' plan before he realized something. "Hey wait a minute. Does this mean you two are not with the wandenreich anymore?"

"Nope. I'm not anyway. Haschwalth would probably just kill me if I go back alive. What about you Candi?" Bambietta asked

"I'm with you on that one Bambi. We do still have a few friends who are gonna attack the soul society however, if what you're saying is true, they will turn against Yhwach once he reveals his true colors." Candice answered thoughtfully. "Besides, most of us only joined the wandenreich because we had nowhere else to go and the soul reapers might kill us and I never really felt comfortable in the wandenreich anyway. In that place, it was like every quincy for themselves. You're not gonna kill us are you?"

"Unless you actually prove to be my enemy, no, I won't." Ichigo replied

"By the way Ichigo." Bambietta said which grabbed Ichigo's attention. "Can you bring Zangetsu out? I wanna ask him something." she asked which made both Candice and Ichigo curious. He then did what she asked and put his long sword straight down on the floor. Soon, someone manifested from it

"**Hey Bambietta. It's been a while hasn't it. So you're Candice huh?"** Zangetsu greeted the girls, who were now obviously uncomfortable just because of his mere presence while Ichigo just watched

"How did you know that Haschwalth was gonna have me killed?" Bambietta asked with narrowed eyes

This just made Zangetsu grin as he leaned on a wall. "**I didn't."** he said which got curious looked from everyone

"What do you mean by that?" Candice asked

"**You two are aware of Sosuke Aizen right?" **Zangetsu asked to which the girls nodded. "**Aizen is truly an interesting person. While he may be mysterious and might be beyond our understanding, the fact remains that there is a lot you can learn from that guy. One of them being, be ready for anything, especially the worst. It shouldn't be that hard to figure out why. After all, even a complete moron should know that it is always better to be safe than sorry but said moron is usually too stupid to act on it. When I told you that he might kill you, I had no clue if he was gonna do it or not. I just gave you a warning in case he might try it."**

**"**I see. So you were looking out for Bambi then?" Candice asked with a grin

"**Not necessarily. I just don't want to see potential allies of Ichigo go to waste unless there is absolutely no choice. Besides, she might make a good girlfriend for him."** Zangetsu responded with his own girn

This made Ichigo blush once more. "Hey! Shut up you!" he yelled out in embarrassment but to his dismay, Zangetsu already disappeared before he could do anything which made Ichigo fume while Candice laughed. Just like Ichigo, Bambietta was also embarrassed

"Anyway, is there anything else the wandenreich is doing other than attacking the soul society?" Ichigo asked

"Well, some of the other sternritters were actually sent to hueco mundo. They were to conquer las noches before the second invasion of the soul society." Bambietta answered

"How many espadas were they expecting to face?" Ichigo asked curiously

"Two. I think it was Coyote Starrk and Tier Harribel." Candice answered

This made Ichigo grin which confused the girls. "What's so funny?" Bambietta asked

"Well, they are in for a rough surprise." Ichigo answered while the girls just waited for an explanation. "Ulquiorra is still alive and Nel is back in her adult form. Plus, I already told them months ago that the wandenreich might attack hueco mundo and they have been preparing for it ever since."

"I see. If that is true, then the hunting corps sent to hueco mundo might get themselves killed." Candice said

"Perhaps, but we're still going there in a few hours so get some rest." Ichigo said which surprised the two

"We?" Bambietta asked

"Yeah we. You two don't wanna be here in case they send someone else here do you?" Ichigo asked

"I guess not, but we would be too injured to fight." Candice pointed out as she was still reeling from her wounds along with Bambietta

"Don't worry about that. Leave that to me." Ichigo answered before walking out. "I'll go get you guys some food."

-**Hueco Mundo, hours later, almost dusk**-

It was around this time that the battles in las noches took place. It wasn't really surprising considering how wide the desert is and las noches' size so it only made sense that the trek towards the fortress would take forever

Ichigo, Bambietta and Candice arrived in the desert just outside of the menos forest. Once there, Ichigo felt some of the arrancars which were surrounded by a few hundred quincies. Since there wasn't anything going on in the forest, Ichigo wondered if they were captured and to be used as leverage. He then looked towards the fortress in the distance and frowned as he felt the battles raging while in the middle of the desert between them and the fortress, he also felt another battle

"Just how big is that fortress to be that large at this distance?" Candice asked in awe

Bambietta was curious about that herself and when they got no answer, she looked at Ichigo. "What's wrong Ichigo?"

"It's some of the arrancars. The fracciones of Nel and Harribel are somehow imprisoned in the menos forest and there are nearly three hundred quincies guarding them." Ichigo responded

The three of them then went inside the menos forest until Ichigo motioned for them to stop and hide behind one of the trees

"What is it?" Candice asked

"There's a patrol just a few meters in front." Ichigo answered and silently released his zanpakuto. He then vanished from sight and soon they heard the sound of someone being killed along with muffled screams. The two girls were shocked at how fast Ichigo moved. It was only then that they realized that it probably good for them that they had him as an ally. "They're dead. Let's go" Ichigo spoke and continued walking

"He's right. He really appears to be a completely different person than what the daten portrays him." Candice said as she followed Ichigo

"Tell me about it." Bambietta muttered. "Hey Ichigo." she said in a quiet voice but still enough for Ichigo to hear

"What?" Ichigo asked as he stopped

"How long are we gonna keep this up? Neither of us can fight if we keep suppressing our spiritual pressures and we're still injured from Gremmy." Bambietta pointed out

"Just keep your spiritual pressures hidden and leave the fighting to me. I didn't tell you to come with me so you can help. I only had you come in case someone might investigate the town and since you're suppressing your spiritual pressures, no one will know you're here unless someone sees you." Ichigo responded calmly but Bambietta did cringe a bit

"I see. Alright then." Candice responded and the three continued walking

They soon arrived at a rather high elevation and just down below were the arrancars who were imprisoned

"So how are you gonna get them out?" Candice asked

Ichigo thought about his options for a bit. He killed only five quincies and those were the ones on the path towards this location. By a wild guess, there were at least one hundred eighty quincies guarding them so that means that there were still a lot guarding the perimeter. He also felt at least twenty guards in the exit towards las noches. "Stay here and don't do anything." he said and got a nod from the girls

Ichigo then suddenly vanished and soon after, screams were heard in the distance which alerted the quincies down below as Ichigo made sure that his sudden attack was painful

"We're under attack. Guard the prisoners." one of the soldats yelled

Ichigo then felt most of the quincies converging on where the prisoners were while a few remained to guard the paths towards them. Deciding to kill them first, Ichigo flashed away and in a matter of seconds, every single one of those that did not head towards the prisoners dropped dead

"Damn, where is he?" another soldat asked as they were guarding the arrancars. While they were a whole lot of them, it didn't really make any of them feel better about it

The arrancars on the other hand, could only watch in confusion from the cage Quilge put them in. By now, Mila Rosa has somewhat recovered. Suddenly someone flashed right in the middle of where the quincies were forming a defensive perimeter and nearly fifty of them were killed in less than a minute

"There he his!" one of the soldats yelled and they soon began firing their bows at him

Unfazed by this, Ichigo unleashed a massive torrent of flame that burned every single quincy inside the forest except for Bambietta and Candice to ashes, including those killed in the distance. The only ones that remained were those that guarded the exit. Said girls on the other hand, were shocked at the display of ruthlessness from Ichigo. He really was no longer the person he once was

Once the quincies have been reduced to ashes, Ichigo walked up to the cage containing the prisoners

"Hey Ichigo. You actually came." Pesche greeted with a sense of relief in his voice

Pesche was then suddenly whacked in the head courtesy of Sung Sun. "You idiot. Ulquiorra specifically instructed not to mention that name." she reminded him

"Yeah I did. Sorry I'm late. I had stuff to do. And don't worry about it. All the quincies that were guarding you are dead." Ichigo said and they all noticed the two quincy girls walking up to them

"Who are they Ichigo?" Sung Sun asked

"They're quincies as well but one of the wandenreich's higher ups wanted them dead so I saved them." Ichigo answered before looking back at the arrancars. "Stand back." he ordered and they followed. With a single swing of his khyber knife, the cage that held them fell apart and they were all released

"Thanks for that Ichigo." Apacci said gratefully which did surprise the others considering how angry she usually was

"Now what? Most of the quincies already left for las noches. There was also a second huge army that came here and left for the fortress." Dondochakka asked

"Now we go to las noches. Right now, Ulquiorra is fighting one of the sternritters in the desert while three more are engaging the other espadas." Ichigo explained. The arrancars wanted to ask what the sternritters were but they figured it must be the higher ranking quincies

"What?! We have to go help them." Mila Rose yelled out

"We will. Hey Bambi, Candice." Ichigo called out. "You two can still use flash steps while suppressing your spiritual pressures right?"

"It's called hirenkyaku and yes we can still use it. The only thing we cannot do is fight." Bambietta answered with a hint of irritation. Before anything else could be said, they all felt Ulquiorra's spiritual pressure spike which did alarm them a bit

"Alright then. I'll go on ahead. There are still some guards on the exit to the forest. I'll get rid of them and head towards Ulquiorra. You guys meet me in the desert." Ichigo ordered and got a nod of confirmation from everyone. He then flashed away and to the arrancar's shock, they couldn't even see his movements

"So, why are you not mad at us?" Bambietta asked the arrancars

"We are actually." Sung Sun replied which wasn't a surprise for the two quincies. "However, our mistress has put her faith in Ichigo and trusts him. While we may not know if you really are allies or not, we trusts our mistress' judgment and would thus trust that Ichigo didn't bring you as a threat to us."

"I see." Bambietta said thoughtfully

"We're wasting time. Let's go." Candice added and attempted to flash away, before he could Dondochakka spoke

"Hey hold on a minute." Dondochakka said and began opening his mouth. This confused the quincies before suddenly, a large wormlike creature came out of it

"Now that is really gross." Candice commented

"Come now. Don't be like that. Bawabawa is one of the monsters that lives in Dondochakka's stomach. We can use him to quickly get to las noches." Pesche said with pride. Soon, they all got on Bawabawa's back. "Everyone ready?" Pesche asked and everyone nodded. "Alright, let's go Bawabawa." he said and off they went

Ulquiorra and Quilge have been fighting for a few minutes now. It became clear that in their base forms, Ulquiorra was the stronger one. It wasn't even a surprise as his high speed regeneration gave him an edge and a non blut arterie attack won't even scratch his hierro. Eventually, Quilge released his volltanding and turned the tides. Ulquiorra was forced on the defensive and was cut right on his torso

"Give it up arrancar. His majesty's orders are absolute. Las noches will fall to the wandenreich." Quilge said arrogantly

This did not faze Ulquiorra as he just used his high speed regeneration to heal it before holding his sword in front of him, pointing directly at Quilge. "Imprison, Murcielago." he said and his spiritual pressure spiked, releasing his resurreccion and causing a rain of green and black spirit energy to erupt from his location. When the rain down there, Ulquiorra stood there, in his demonic resurreccion. Summoning an energy lance on his right hand, Ulquiorra moved too fast for Quilge to track and wounded him on his upper body. Once Quilge recovered, he turned around and saw Ulquiorra throwing said lance right at him. He was able to dodge it but Ulquiorra just flashed in front of him and grabbed him by the face before slamming him to the ground. Summoning another energy lance, Ulquiorra attempted to end this then and there but Quilge managed to flash away

Quilge managed to recover himself from that attack but was panting. Ulquiorra was strong, very strong. He knew that he won't last long if it keeps up like this so he decided to use his ace. He released Ayon before absorbing it into himself, thereby powering himself up a lot. However, it was not enough. Even with his strength enhanced by Ayon, he could still barely keep up with Ulquiorra's movement and was forced to keep his blut vene at full power. This time, Quilge was on the defensive however the battle was now a stalemate. With a full powered blut vene, Ulquiorra was not inflicting much damage on Quilge. On the other hand, Ulquiorra was too fast for Quilge and his hierro was now stronger, putting them both on the same situation of being unable to really harm the other

Suddenly, they both heard the sounds of screams and looked towards where their armies were fighting. All of the quincies were killed and in happened far too quick. Quilge looked around and saw a man in a hood just standing among the corpses. Realizing he was the culprit, Quilge let his guard down and put his blut on arterie and attempted to attack the newcomer. Before he could though, he felt a strong spiritual pressure behind him. He looked around and saw a black cero with green outline heading towards him and it scored a direct hit, creating a huge explosion. When it died down, Quilge stood there with a hole in his chest with the rest of his body covered in burns, and finally, dropped dead. All of the quincy soldats in this battle were now dead too and among the hollow army, only a few gillians remained standing, who now headed back to the menos forest

"Hey Ulquiorra." Ichigo greeted as he removed his mask

Being the emotionless guy he was, Ulquiorra didn't bother to greet and instead informed him of the situation. "Harribel and Nelliel's fracciones were captured in the menos forest."

"I know. I just broke them out." Ichigo said and as if on cue, Bawabawa arrived along with the others

"Oh wow. Talk about a slaughter." Mila Rose commented as she observed the battle

Ulquiorra noticed that there were two faces unknown to him and he could tell that they were quincies. "Are these two quincies with you Ichigo?"

"Yeah they are." Ichigo replied simply. "I'll explain that later when the battles are over."

"Very well then." Ulquiorra replied before he noticed Ichigo frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nel is in trouble." Ichigo replied which alerted the everyone present

"What?! We have to go help her!" Pesche yelled out

"Alright. I'll rush on ahead to las noches. Meet me there." Ichigo said and everyone nodded, including Ulquiorra. Ichigo then vanished and to Ulquiorra's surprise, even he cannot keep track of Ichigo's movements. It reminded him of the time when Zangetsu took over Ichigo's body

"Let's go." Ulquiorra said and got on Bawabawa and made haste for las noches

With Harribel, her battle was far too easy. Pepe's powers were such a bad matchup against someone as fast as Harribel and was thus unable to land a single hit. He did managed to hit the hollow army and caused them to kill each other although it had no effects on the exequias. With most of the hollow army now under the enemies' control, Harribel released her resurreccion and drowned them with a massive cascada. Pepe managed to survive this but was immediately killed by a point blank cero fired by Harribel

With Starrk, it was a rather interesting situation. The reinforcements managed to reach Berenice's group first and engaged Starrk's army. He decided to put his pistols on his pockets and went to sword fighting instead and killed quincy after quincy. Even the reinforcments didn't do much to help due to Starrk's cero meralleta either inflicting heavy casualties or preventing them from moving to help. Eventually, he came face to face with Berenice. Since she was a very talkative person, she tried to use her powers to get Starrk to lower his guard down. Unfortunately for her, Starrk wasn't even paying attention and just yawned. She was then killed when Starrk slash her from her right shoulder to her left hip. When the soldats noticed her die, they immediately charged at him and many grouped up unknowingly. Using this opportunity, Starrk fired a cero from one of his pistols and killed them all instantly. The remaining survivors were then killed by the hollow army

Nel on the other hand, had a very rough time. Her abilites proved to be a poor matchup against Nianzol. He had the ability to manipulate the wind and cause any direct attacks to fail to reach their target and most of Nel's attacks were direct. Even when she released her resurrecion, it didn't change anything and soon, her army was killed off. Though suffering heavy casualties, the quincies won this battle and Nel was heavily wounded from Nianzol's wind attacks. Just when he was about to finish her off, all of the quincies in his group suddenly dropped dead. When he turned around, he was suddenly bisected by a black trench knife, killing him once and for all

* * *

**Here is the next one. Just to make things clear, the assassination part happened in the morning to the early afternoon part. I already mentioned in the previous chapter that the battles in las noches happened late in the afternoon. For how Ulquiorra and Quilge, I decided to make Ulquiorra that much stronger that Quilge. I mean, the guy wasn't really all that impressive and he couldn't even keep up with Ichigo's bankai in the canon while Ulquiorra just thrashed him even with his mask on. Now, in the canon, fullbring bankai Ichigo does seem more powerful but I sincerely doubt he would be that much more powerful than before he lost his powers. That's just my take and I think fullbring bankai Ichigo is as strong or just a slightly bit stronger than his hollow mask form. As for the quincy girls, I'll say it again, I am NOT shipping them with Ichigo. I have something else in mind for those two. Also, one more thing. In case nobody has noticed it yet, Ichigo this time, is as powerful as he was during his fight with Aizen and that's just him without using his shikai, bankai or hollowfication **


	40. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Nine - The Final Preparations**

**-Karakura Town-**

In the early evening, nearly an hour after Ichigo, Bambietta and Candice left for hueco mundo, Haschwalth has arrived in karakura town. He decided to investigate as Gremmy still hasn't reported back and it's been hours since he left. Sensing the spiritual pressures in the town, he felt that the traces of spiritual pressure that belonged to the girls and Gremmy were just a few blocks away from Kisuke Urahara's shop. Haschwalth left for the location and was rather curious when he arrived. A battle clearly took place yet somehow, none of the infrastructure was damaged. After further investigations, he realized that Gremmy has done something and managed to keep everything intact. The same investigation also led him to conclude that Gremmy was killed. To his surprise however, it seemed that both Candice and Bambietta managed to kill Gremmy, which should have not been possible. The most likely scenario in his mind was that the girls fatally wounded Gremmy but he managed to kill them before going down. Deciding to investigate further, he went to Bambietta's house to check for anything suspicious. Upon arriving at the house, nothing seemed out of the ordinary and not a single remaining object that Bambietta left behind since returning to silbern appeared to have been recently tampered with. 'So this was only a partial success and we lost one sternritter to kill the two.' Haschwalth thought before returning back to silbern

-**Silbern-**

Haschwalth just returned and headed for the throne room. "I have returned your majesty."

"Report." Yhwach ordered

"My apologies, your majesty. My unauthorized mission has cost us Gremmy." Haschwalth said sadly while kneeling

"I see. Do not worry about it. What about Candice Catnipp and Bambietta Basterbine?" Yhwach asked

"They appear to be dead your majesty. From my investigation, they managed to best Gremmy." Haschwalth said

"It matters not. Gremmy was more powerful than those two. If he allowed himself to be beaten by them then he deserved his death. You have done nothing wrong Haschwalth. Rise." Yhwach responded

"Thank you, your majesty." Haschwalth said before getting up

"Has there been any report about the hueco mundo hunting corps?" Yhwach asked

"I have not received any before I left. If they haven't reported back, I would guess that they have been defeated if we haven't received any news from them." Haschwalth answered

"I see." Yhwach said simply

"Shall we reinforce them, your majesty?" Haschwalth asked

"No. Our invasion is due tomorrow. We can deal with the arrancars after dealing with the soul society." Yhwach answered before looking at Haschwalth. "Inform all surviving sternritters to ready themselves for the possible ambush by the arrancars. We attack early in the morning tomorrow. We will finish off the soul society by the end of the day."

"Yes, your majesty." Haschwalth responded before grabbing a communicator and barking orders

-**Las Noches-**

The battles have just ended by Ichigo literally cutting the last surviving sternritter in half as well as instantly killing the remaining quincies before they could even register what was happening. After bisecting Nianzol, Ichigo unleashed a massive torrent of flames once more, incinerating all of the bodies of the quincies in las noches. Once he was finished, he sealed his zanpakuto before walking up to Nel, who was looking at him in awe and a bit of horror despite bleeding from her injuries

"You alright Nel?" Ichigo asked as he helped her up

"No, but I will be. Nice timing Ichigo." Nel said gratefully

Before Ichigo could do anything, multiple people arrived in the area, Harribel, Starrk and Rudbornn

"Hey Ichigo. Seems like you have perfect timing." Starrk greeted him

"Indeed. We felt Nelliel's spiritual pressure drop but we couldn't help her due to us being occupied." Harribel added

"Maybe but I should have come sooner. I just had some stuff to do and some newcomers so I was a bit late. My apologies." Ichigo said with a hint of regret

"It's all good Ichigo. At least you came and prevented Nelliel from being killed." Starrk said reassuringly

Rudbornn on the other hand, was wary of Ichigo but was starting to calm down due to the trust the two espadas showed. Before anything else could be said, everyone outside of las noches finally arrived on Bawabawa

"Master Nel!" Pesche and Dondochakka said as they rushed over to their mistress

"Don't worry about it. I'll be fine." Nel answered weakly before using her high speed regeneration to heal most of her wounds and dropping her resurreccion

The other three fracciones also went to reunite with Harribel. It was at this moment that Ichigo finally noticed Rudborrn. He knew who he was but he never got his name so Ichigo looked at him expectantly. Rudbornn got the message and introduced himself

"Rudbornn Chelute. Commander of the exequias." Rudbornn introduced himself

"Ichigo Kurosaki. But I take you already know who I am." Ichigo answered

"Indeed. Master Ulquiorra has already told me about us being allies although I did have my doubts until now." Rudbornn said

"How come I've never seen you during the few times I visited?" Ichigo curiously asked

"Master Ulquiorra had assigned me to the menos forest to organize the hollows there. While most lesser hollows do not listen to orders of others, they will listen when it is someone of higher rank. After your first visit, my stay in the forest was extended and I was to guard it in the event of a quincy invasion. It was not until recently where I was ordered back to las noches." Rudbornn explained

"I see." Ichigo replied

"So, Ichigo, who are these girls?" Starrk asked as he noticed the two quincies while he was dropping his resurreccion and bringing Lilynette back out

"Bambietta Basterbine."

"Candice Catnipp."

"Are you two quincies as well?" Harribel asked warily as the two finished their introductions

"Yeah they are. Long story short, Bambietta was sent to keep an eye on me and I turned her into an ally. Just earlier, one of the higher ups in the wandenreich wanted them dead so I saved them since it was done in karakura town." Ichigo explained

"I see. If Ichigo does vouch for you, you are free to stay in las noches for as long as you like." Ulquiorra said. Even he trusted Ichigo's judgment by now

"Thank you." Candice and Bambietta said gratefully

"Enough of that. Let's get master Nel some help already!" Pesche and Dondochakka said in unison and began moving to the operating room while carrying their mistress

"Can you also help the two? They're still reeling from their injuries." Ichigo asked

"Sure. As long as you're Ichigo's allies then you're ours as well." Harribel said as she lead the way

Bambietta and Candice were both amazed and shocked at Ichigo. These people were once his enemies and now became his allies while those, or most of those who were once his friends are now the ones he considers as his enemies. Fate certainly had a twisted sense of humor

At the operating room, Pesche and Dondochakka tended to Nel's injuries despite most of it was now healed while the tres bestias tended to Mila Rose's. Since Bambietta and Candice were no longer that injured, the only thing they really needed to do was take it easy. After a few minutes, Starrk noticed that Ichigo had a rather amused yet, at the same time, curious expression

"What is it Ichigo?" Starrk asked which got everyone's attention

"One of the quincy sternritter is in karakura town." Ichigo responded

"How do you know?" Lilynette asked

"I have my methods." Ichigo simply replied but did not bother to explain

"Who is it?" Bambietta asked

"I don't know. All I know is that he has long blonde hair and has a sword." Ichigo responded while he was still observing Haschwalth through his creatures

"It must be Haschwalth." Candice pointed out

"Who is that?" Harribel asked

"Jugram Haschwalth. He is Yhwach's second in command and the grand master of all the sternritters. Unlike the others, he is the only one that Yhwach would never question." Candice explained

"He must be investigating the town for what happened. It was only past noon when you saved us and Gremmy obviously hasn't reported back. This is bad. He's gonna know we're still alive." Bambietta realized. The others were curious to who this Gremmy was but they figured it must be the one who tried to kill them

"Don't worry about that." Ichigo said which confused them

"What? Why?" Bambietta asked worriedly

"After I killed that guy sent to kill you, I made sure to hide the remaining traces of your spirit energy. If anyone does check that out, the only thing they will find out is that the two of you managed to kill your assailant but before he died, he managed to kill you as well." Ichigo explained as he continued his observation

"Where is he now?" Candice asked

"He's at the house where Bambietta used to live. He's trying to find for any clues if you're still alive." Ichigo answered

"Well, I guess it's a good thing we got rid of everything we used to patch ourselves up, including our uniforms." Candice said with relief

"Yeah thanks for that Ichigo." Bambietta agreed

"He left already. He found nothing that would point to your survival." Ichigo said

"That's good to hear." Bambietta responded

"When do the wandenreich attack the soul society again?" Ichigo asked, deciding to change the topic

"I believe it was tomorrow. Although we are not sure about the time." Candice answered

"I see. Anyway, I'm going outside. Take care of yourselves alright." Ichigo said before leaving

"Is it just me or has Ichigo changed since the first time he came here?" Nel asked after a few minutes. Since they couldn't feel Ichigo's spiritual pressure, the only thing they can do is wait just to be sure Ichigo couldn't hear them

"It's not just you. Even I noticed the difference in his behavior from when he was our enemy and the way he is now." Harribel answered

"Indeed. It's almost as if he's becoming more and more like a hollow." Ulquiorra added which did surprise everyone in the room, including the quincies

"Anyway, why did you ally yourselves with Ichigo?" Starrk asked

"Well, in all honesty, it was me who chose it first and I was hesitant to do so. Candice only joined up earlier after we were nearly killed." Bambietta said before recalling the events on that fateful night. "A few months ago, I was sent by Yhwach to keep an eye on Ichigo and should he do anything suspicious, I was to kill him. However, when I first arrived, it seemed that Ichigo already knew that I was a quincy and he just played like he was a normal human. One night, he captured me and in exchange for information about the wandenreich, he was to tell me about Yhwach." she continued while the others listened intently. Bambietta was originally hesitant to tell the arrancars the story but ultimately decided to explain it so she and Candice could earn their trust

"So, he told you about the almighty as well?" Harribel asked

"At first, no, but during that night, Ichigo told me everything. However, i was still unconvinced as to how he had all those information. And that was when I met him." Bambietta said

"Who?" Ulquiorra asked

"The hollow that lives inside Ichigo, or should I call him by his real name, Zangetsu. His mere presence completely unnerved me. It was almost like he wasn't just looking at me. He was like looking deep into my soul. That if I tried to lie, he would know or the fact that if I did anything stupid, either him or Ichigo was gonna kill me. I also met the manifestation of Ichigo's quincy powers and it all made sense then as he looked like Yhwach." Bambietta explained

"I see." Ulquiorra simply said

"So Zangetsu is really that scary?" Nel curiously asked

"He is. Even though you can't sense it, I can tell that he is also stronger than Ichigo himself." Candice answered which did worry everyone for a bit

Meanwhile, Ichigo went to the top of one of the pillars and decided to gather more information about whatever he can find from the daireishokairo from his creatures that were still there. While he was at it, he also decided to check what the soul reapers were doing. As he thought, they were still preparing themselves for the inevitable attack. The captains that have had their bankais stolen were looking for ways to fight without it. From the looks of things, they haven't heard anything from Kisuke or the ones they sent to the world of the living

Speaking of Kisuke, he decided to check the Urahara Shop as well as his own body first before digging into the archives. With his body, everything seemed normal. Due to how swiftly he killed the quincies, he was able to control his body easily. His sisters were still doing the usual stuff and are staying at home. Ichigo did feel kind of bad of how their dad just left without telling them where he was going although he was sure Karin figured it out already. At the Urahara Shop, he was amused over how desperate Kisuke and Tessai were trying to fix the senkaimon but no avail. The visored being there wasn't too surprising and even his father was there. All of them were waiting for until the senkaimon was fixed. Since he was spying on them, he saw Kisuke calling his father to the side and Ichigo decided to listen to their conversation

"Isshin, have you told Ichigo about this?" Kisuke curiously asked

"Not really. I only told him the soul society was under attack. I wish I could have told him everything though." Isshin said sadly

"Don't worry about it. In the end, you just wanted to protect your son." Kisuke reassured him

"Yeah. So anyway, have you found a way to recover the stolen bankais?" Isshin asked as he was already briefed about it by Yoruichi when he arrived earlier

"I might have something but I'm not sure it will work. I went to Ryuken Ishida to gather some information however, this is nothing but an experiment and it has a high chance of failure." Kisuke admitted

"How does it work?" Isshin asked

"Well, it basically hollowfies the bankai. The theory is that a hollow is poison to a quincy which is why they must destroy them completely, your son being the only exception. If this works, we will be able to recover the stolen bankais and prevent others from being stolen. If it doesn't, we may be doomed." Kisuke said grimly

"At least we have something to work with." Isshin said before realizing something. "Ryuken should know more about this and I don't think he would just let Yhwach win."

"Perhaps but it seems we are on our own until he finds out how to kill Yhwach once and for all. Ryuken is the one who gave me the idea. I went to him a few days ago to see what he knows." Kisuke responded. The two of them decided to go to Tessai and unsurprisingly, nothing they have tried worked

"I see. This is really bad. The quincies could return at any moment and we still have made no progress." Isshin commented

"Can't you make the same thing that Mayuri used to send us over here?" Ganju asked

"I could but the way he sent you only allowed a few people and there are a lot of us. I didn't have the time to tweak it when I still had to find out how to recover the bankais." Kisuke answered

Ichigo observed this through one of the creatures he left at Kisuke's shop. Apparently even Chad and Orihime were invited to join in on the fight. They even had Orihime try to reject what happened to the senkaimon but her powers were too weak and had no effect. Ichigo thought of binding those two down to keep them from the fight but decided against it, figuring that it was their choice and thus, the only thing he could do was respect that. Their lives were their own and the final decision is ultimately up to them and not him

Focusing back on the soul society, he noticed that Zaraki's power has grown since the last time he met. This made Ichigo wonder if he finally learned the name of his zanpakuto

"**Maybe he did. Check for that little girl that was always with him."** White said as he read what Ichigo was thinking

Wondering what his hollow was up to, Ichigo played along and use his few remaining creatures in the soul society to find Yachiru. To his surprise, he couldn't find her anywhere

"**I guess Zaraki finally learned the name of his zanpakuto."**

'How do you know that?'

"**That girl who was always with him, was a manifestation of his zanpakuto."**

**'**What? You mean Yachiru? How can a soul reaper be a zanpakuto at the same time?'

_"She is not a soul reaper. Zanpakutos are more complicated than what you first thought, I am sure you know this better than anyone Ichigo. If a soul reaper has a massive amount of spirit energy like you and Kenpachi Zaraki, it is possible for the zanpakuto to manifest itself outside and remain manifested for however long it desires. The difference between this and when training for bankai is that the zanpakuto itself is the one who chose to manifest and not the soul reaper. It is possible that Zaraki's zanpakuto chose to manifest itself in a form that would grab his attention."_

"**And considering how close they are, I wouldn't be surprised if Zaraki can already use bankai."**

**'**So you can manifest yourselves and stay outside indefinitely?'

_"Yes we can Ichigo. However, there is no reason for us to do so. A zanpakuto manifesting like that also has a major drawback. The soul reaper's power will be severely diminished if the zanpakuto is outside. This is because the zanpakuto is using the soul reaper's spirit energy to remain manifested and it will quickly burn through the soul reaper's reserves."_

'If that is the case then how come Zaraki was able to fight and defeat someone like Nnoitra of Yachiru was using his spirit energy?'

"**For one thing, Nnoitra was weak. For another, that little girl was only using a tiny portion of his spirit energy and the fact that she is usually in close proximity to him only reduces the amount she burns. Even though they are very close, the fact that Zaraki doesn't know the name of his zanpakuto greatly limits the amount Yachiru can use to remain manifested. I would guess that's why her form is a child of all things."**

**'**I see. No wonder I always thought Yachiru was weird. But how can Kenpachi have a bankai? I thought you have to subjugate the zanpakuto to acquire it?'

_"Not necessarily. That is only the simple thinking of the soul reapers who think of the zanpakuto as nothing more than tools for their own uses. As you are aware, the zanpakuto has its own goals and desires and better than anyone else, you should know that it does not always coincide with the soul reaper's."_

'So the subjugation isn't the only method?'

"**Obviously not. The thing is, it does not matter at all if the zanpakuto is subjugated. Aside from training on how to use it, the main thing that is required by bankai is a very strong bond between the zanpakuto and the soul reaper as well putting their complete trust in each other. When you think about how that little girl appears to be the only one Zaraki cares about, it is entirely possible he can already use bankai although I doubt he knows that."**

**'**Does that mean that you trust me then?'

"**That should be perfectly obvious. We do have our disagreements but that doesn't mean that I don't trust you. You're the one who doesn't completely trust me although I can't blame you for that."**

'Yeah, you can't. How do you even know Yachiru is a zanpakuto?'

"**The same way anyone identifies if a being is a hollow, soul reaper or a quincy. A zanpakuto's spiritual pressure is nearly identical to its soul reaper with slight differences."**

**'**That includes you right?'

"**Naturally."**

With that conversation over, he decided to do more scouting on the soul society since he got sidetracked with their little talk. He found Kukaku in one of the barracks putting some fireworks trap. The fact that she was there did not surprise Ichigo since Ganju was sent to come here. Even the unseated soul reapers were busy training themselves as well as the captains and lieutenants. Ichigo however, saw no sign of Byakuya, Renji nor Rukia. He can only conclude that they were taken by the royal guard and haven't returned. He also found no traces of Unohana which was rather interesting. Ichigo knew who she really was as he already checked the daireishokairo archives and she would be a valuable asset if she joined the fights. Her being the first Kenpachi, and Zaraki now knowing shikai made it seem that Zaraki killed her to get shikai. Either that or she sacrificed himself since according to the archives, only one Kenpachi must exist in a generation. This did disgust Ichigo as to how the soul society values stupid titles over survivability. 'I swear I'm gonna rip them apart after I kill Yhwach.' Ichigo thought to himself before doing more observations. Throughout most of time he observed them, Ichigo was rather amused at how desperate the soul society was to survive. Little did they know that their efforts were futile as there are gonna be more sternritters this time around than the previous assault. The loss of Unohana was gonna backfire on them horribly and Ichigo was really looking forward to seeing that. Although he was rather surprised that the soul reapers managed to organize themselves despite central forty six and the head captain dead

Since he has had enough of observing, Ichigo shifted his attention back to the archives. He wondered why the shiba was exiled but apparently, the records of it have been deleted. It seemed that the soul society did not want anyone to find out about the shiba clan. He did wonder why he never noticed it before, then again he never bothered to check the shiba clan's data that much. However, he did not want to jump to conclusions just yet. He realized that he had been so focused on his hatred for the soul society due to their betrayal that he blamed them for every stupid thing. While he still had no intention of reconcilliation, he decided not to blame them for everything unless he truly knew what happened. It was also a good thing as there was someone else who truly deserved to be hated and Ichigo would have his head for it

_"So, when are you planning on joining this war Ichigo?"_

'According to Candice, the wandenreich attacks tomorrow. Considering that they're gonna have the upper hand again, I highly doubt the soul society would last long. I would just wait until Yhwach invades the royal palace. I'll force him back to the soul society and kill him there.'

"**Any particular reason you won't just kill him in the royal palace?"**

'Well, I don't wanna get the soul king caught in the crossfire. Even though I am curious about who he really is, I don't want to put the worlds in any unnecessary danger as our attacks might wind up heading his way. Besides, my only play is to delay Yhwach until he is struck by the still silver arrow. If Uryu has it by now, then the wandenreich wouldn't be able to invade and he could just assassinate Yhwach himself. However, if they do invade, it would probably mean it's not ready yet so I'll have to delay him until that happens.'

"**That's a good point. I really like how you're starting to think things through."**

_**"**__If that is the case, try checking on Ryuken to see if he has already created the still silver."_

Ichigo then did just that. He tracked down Ryuken using one of the creatures he still had in karakura town. He found him still at his hospital and in the basement no less. From the looks of things, it seemed that Ryuken was just about finishing up on an arrowhead. Just then, Ichigo, as well as Ryuken, felt Isshin enter the room

"You still don't know how to knock don't you Isshin?" Ryuken said

"Come now Ryuken. That is no way to greet an old friend." Isshin said while faking sadness

"What are you doing here Isshin?" Ryuken asked

"Have you made it?" Isshin asked

"Yes. The still silver arrow is finished. The only thing I need now is to find a way to get to the royal palace." Ryuken answered while putting away the arrowhead

"Can't you just come with us to the soul society?" Isshin pointed out

"I cannot. If this arrow makes contact with Yhwach, it will completely stop his powers but only for an instant. You should know as well as I that doing so would be next to impossible unless Yhwach was completely isolated." Ryuken answered

Isshin just sighed as he knew he couldn't argue with that. "Alright. I guess I'll go on ahead to the soul society with Kisuke then."

"Very well. It's time we avenged the death of our wives." Ryuken said as Isshin was leaving

Ichigo was rather relieved to hear that. It seemed that his only job now was to delay Yhwach until someone fires the damn arrow at him. He was so tempted to just go bankai and get rid of him once and for all but he did not want to risk Yhwach barely surviving like he did one thousand years ago

'I wonder how I always get the timings right on these things.'

"**That was nothing more than the luck of the draw."**

_"While that is true, it could also be the fact that it was not that long ago that everyone in karakura town learned about the invasion so if you think about it, this would be the time to talk and prepare about such things."_

'Maybe you're right. However, I still wonder if Uryu knew about Yhwach all long.'

"**I'm sure he did. Unlike you, the guy wasn't an idiot before. It wouldn't be too much of a surprise considering that he knows how to control his emotions whereas you only learned that recently."**

**'**I guess.'

It was then that Ichigo realized something. He wondered where Aizen was. He checked the soul society again through his creatures and for some reason, he can't find him. 'What? How come I can't find Aizen? Is my pesquisa thing broken or something?'

"_It is not. Your ability to use the pesquisa through those creatures is not as powerful as when you use it yourself_**."**

'So I can't use it effectively?'

**"Not necessarily. You could say that your pesquisa in your own body is an ugrade to the one used by the arrancars however, that only applies to you personally. If you use it through your creatures, it will only become a regular pesquisa like the arrancars'."**

'I see. Then that means I won't know where he is or what he's up to until he reveals himself.'

"**That's right."**

**'**I really hope you're right about Aizen not being an enemy.'

"**It doesn't really matter. As long as Aizen doesn't help Yhwach that's good enough."**

-**Soul Society-**

Ever since the first invasion, Kyoraku was chosen to be the substitute head captain until the war was over. Since he was the acting head captain, the other captains thought it would be best if he stays in the squad one barracks as to make things easier due to it being located at the center of the seireitei. While Kyoraku was busy doing something, Nanao came into the room

"Captain Kyoraku." Nanao said respectfully

"What is it, Nanao? Has there been any word from Kisuke Urahara?" Kyoraku asked seriously

"Negative captain. Ever since Hanataro Yamada and Ganju Shiba have been sent, we have not heard anything from them. Squad twelve has also been very busy about finding ways to recover the stolen bankais but to no luck. Captain Kurotsuchi is still unable to make anything stable for us to travel to the world of the living due to how damage the squad twelve barracks was." Nanao answered sadly

"I see. So we are still on our own then?" Kyoraku asked

"Not necessarily. According to captain Ukitake, he may have found potential allies among in rukongai district however, it is still unknown if he was able to convince them to help us." Nanao answered

"Well, at least some good news finally." Kyoraku said with a sigh

"Indeed. However, I can't help but think that maybe it was a bad idea for Ichigo Kurosaki to lose his powers." Nanao said while looking out the window

This made Kyoraku grin and he couldn't help himself. "I never knew you had an interest in him." he teased

Blood immediately shot to Nanao's face and she slammed her hands on the table. "I'm serious here captain!" she yelled. "Don't you think it would have been a good thing if he could help us?!"

"It would. However, he was faced with a difficult choice as Aizen has gotten too powerful." Kyoraku said as he got serious while Nanao was slowly collecting herself from her outburst. "Speaking of Aizen, has anyone seen or heard from him since he escaped?"

"No. He has been missing ever since." Nanao answered. "Are you sure he won't join with the quincies?"

"Not really. That's something we can only hope for. If Aizen does side with the quincies, we're screwed." Kyoraku sighed. At the same time though, he could not help but wonder if Ichigo actually lost his powers. All evidence points that he did however, he had a strange feeling that he still has it. If Ichigo does still have his powers, it did worry Kyoraku as it was always possible that Ichigo could find out about their plan months ago and there would be hell to pay for everyone affiliated with the soul society

Meanwhile, Aizen was just staying at the training chamber used by Ichigo when he first came to this place. Due to it's location and size, it was the perfect place to remain hidden. At the moment, he was just standing at the natural balcony at the entrance, looking at the seireitei. 'I guess only time will tell. This war is now a do or die.' he thought to himself as he too was anticipating the next offensive

* * *

**Finished this one. The next chapters will cover the second invasion. I will give a bit of spoilers. I won't make the royal guard as powerful as they were said to be. That will come later in the story so don't be shocked if the royal guard dies as easily as they did in the canon. Yeah I might as well spoil it a bit more. I have another arc planned after this one**


	41. Chapter 40

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Forty - The Second Invasion**

-**Soul Society-**

Morning has just broke and the soul reapers were still preparing for the quincies' inevitable return when suddenly, the buildings in the seireitei suddenly began disappearing and replaced with the quincy city of silbern

The soul reapers immediately panicked and tried to stop what was happening but to no avail. Squad twelve, who only managed to put together some working equipment but even that failed to discover anything significant about the current phenomenon

"When the quincy were defeated one thousand years ago with nowhere left to run, they fled from the world of the living and sought refuge on where you were the least vigilant, the seireitei itself. Within the sereitei, they created hidden spaces using reishi for themselves in the shadow and name this realm 'the wandenreich.'" Yhwach said as he walked up to one of the buildings roofs and overlooked the seireitei

"The decision worked out perfectly. After all, unlike the world of the living, the soul society is full of high quality reishi. There was basically no limit to what we could accomplish. And so, over the last one thousand years, we've been slowly building our strength right here in the shadows of the seireitei." Askin said nonchalantly as he popped out of nowhere in the squad twelve barracks, causing the members to panic

"In other words, in our first assault and in this one, we did not penetrate the protective barrier from the outside. We were within the barrier this whole time." Haschwalth said as he approached Kyoraku and Nanao, who was observing the current events

"Welcome. You certainly did not waste time in reaching the captain's quarters. I guess you must have some pretty well trained soldiers on your army." Kyoraku greeted him sarcastically

"Wandenreich imperial advisor and grandmaster of the sternritters, Jugram Haschwalth." he introduced himself

"Shunsui Kyoraku. Acting commander of the thirteen court guard squads in the absence of central forty six and the head captain." Shunsui introduced back

"Absence?" Haschwalth asked confused

"Yes they have been deceased since the first invasion. I presume it was not your doing then?" Kyoraku asked

"No it was not. Throughout the first invasion, none of the sternritters nor the soldats bothered to go near the central underground assembly hall." Haschwalth said

"I see." Kyoraku said simply while grabbing his zanpakuto with Haschwalth returning the gesture

At the squad twelve barracks, the scientists were still in shock over what was just said. "When the hell did that guy get here?!" one of them asked

"How long have you been there? How did you get inside?" another one demanded to know

"Are you serious? Didn't you listen to my explanation just now? I would have thought that a place who's purpose is for research and development would be the home to people with a least a little bit of intellect." Askin said is a disappointed tone. "I didn't have to 'get inside' as you so called it. I have been in here from the very beginning."

"I see. I was wondering how you clowns got here in the first place." Mayuri said, disappointed that he never figured it out

"Don't be sad now. I know you had your suspicious but you were never able to do anything to confirm them as you're equipment were completely destroyed, weren't you." Askin said with a smirk

This annoyed Mayuri greatly and he immediately drew his sword. "You'll pay for that, quincy." he said venomously

"Resorting to violence now? No good. FIghting you is gonna be a pain in the ass." Askin said and began retreating back to the shadows

"Retreating are you?" Mayuri said while still glaring at Askin who stopped walking and looked at him

"I mean, you don't seem the kind of guy who will go down easy so I will have to use a lot of tactics to kill you. Sorry, but those kinds of things aren't my style. Go fight someone else. Well then, later." Askin said nonchalantly and resumed walking back before stopping after a while when he realized something. "You're not following me?"

"As much as I want to turn you quincies into my guinea pigs, I would rather not follow you into your territory so feel free to go wherever you want. Although, you wouldn't happen to know where that zombie girl is would you?" Mayuri asked

"How scary. I'm glad I didn't reveal my powers too soon. Oh and that zombie girl should be at one of the gates. If I remember correctly, it was the western gate. See ya." Askin said and retreated

"Captain..." Akon said before he was interrupted

"Now then, I believe I owe a zombie girl some payback." Mayuri said darkly before heading towards the western gate before stopping suddenly. "Hmmm I could kill that zombie girl later." he said and instead walked off to a different place. He wanted to make zombie girl suffer for what she did so he decided to modify his bankai a bit

At the western gate, Giselle was busy gathering more zombies. So she just casually walked around while letting random soul reapers slash her. Apparently, they have learned nothing from the first assault

"Hey Gigi, what the hell are you doing?" Liltotto asked as she was eating some lollipop while observing Giselle

"Just gathering more zombies. Nothing better to do anyway." Giselle answered while she healed herself

"Shouldn't we go and kill soul reapers?" Meninas asked the two

"What do you think I'm doing?" Giselle said goofily as she added even more zombies to her army from the first invasion, which she also brought to silbern after the assault. "Alright, that should be enough."

"About time. Let's kill these guys already." Liltotto said and hopped on Jidanbo's soldiers as she along with Meninas and Giselle headed to other barracks

Meanwhile, near where the squad ten barracks once was, Bazz B made his entrance and began burning soul reaper after soul reaper. The soul reapers bravely attempted to stop him from getting through but Bazz B absolutely showed no mercy and just killed them. Just when he was about to kill even more, a wall of ice suddenly appeared and his flames were stopped it in its tracks

"What?" Bazz B asked confused before looking at where the ice came from

"There is little point if you pass through here or not. Either way, your flames seemed to have failed to make it through." the source of the ice, Toshiro Hitsugaya said

"Is that right?" Bazz B retorted before thinking about it. "You seem familiar. Where have I seen you before?" he said while in deep thought before finally getting his answer. "That's right. You're that icy guy who's bankai was stolen by Cang Du, aren't you?"

"Squad ten captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya." he introduced himself

"Sternritter H 'the heat' Bazz B" he returned the gesture before unleashing a torrent of flame. "Perfect matchup of our powers, don't you think?"

While Toshiro fought off Bazz B, Rangiku ordered the random soul reapers to retreat. Eventually, she was forced to join when the wall of ice was suddenly blown apart, courtesy of Bazz B while Toshiro was also retreating

"Oi what the hell? Is this how a captain should act?" Bazz B mocked before suddenly, Rangiku flashed to his side and attempted to cut him down. He saw right through the attempt and was able to dodge before firing another torrent of flames right at her

Seizing the opportunity, Toshiro blindsided him and unleashed a small torrent of ice, which scored a direct hit. However, it did not deal much against Bazz B who then pointed his other hand at him and immediately counter attacking. With both Rangiku and Toshiro forced to retreat from Bazz B's counter attack, the sternritter summoned his bow and unleashed a volley of arrows right at them

This caught the two soul reapers off guard and were forced to dodge a few. However, they realized that they were gonna get hit soon and decided on a different course of action

"Rangiku, do it." Toshiro ordered

"Yes captain." Rangiku said before touching her sword. "Growl, Haineko." she said and released her shikai which blocked all of the arrows. She then had the ashes surround Bazz B

"Rain over the frosted heavens, Hyorinmaru." Toshiro said and released his own shikai. Soon enough, the ashes turned into a wall of ice which pierced the sternritter from all sides before said wall slammed Bazz B into the wall with the ice still piercing through him

The two soul reapers sealed their zanpakuto as they believe they had won this battle

"Let's go help the others." Toshiro said

"Captain Hitsugaya won!" one of the random soul reapers yelled

At another area of the seireitei, BG9 was killing soul reapers himself. He was trying to find the captain to whom he stole the bankai. "Where is your captain?" he asked while killing the stealth force

"Shut up quincy. You're not gonna live long enough to meet her again." one of the stealth force members yelled before he along with his cohorts charged at BG9

Unsurprisingly, the unseated members of the stealth force couldn't even put a scratch on BG9. All they felt was that their blade clashed against a metal surface or something similar to that

"What is this guy?" another member asked in shock

"I shall ask you once more. Where is your captain?" BG9 said while the stealth force retreated. Receiving no answer, BG9 formed what appeared to be a minigun and fired a barrage of arrows at the stealth force members. They were completely helpless due to the rate of fire the arrows were being shot. Most were killed in a matter of seconds. It was at this moment that he noticed a little girl. "I see you still refuse to answer my question." he said before pointing his minigun right at the girl

"No, stop! She's innocent!" one of the stealth force members yelled in desperation who survived by managing to find cover

"Then answer my question." BG9 said and the barrels started rotating. "Last chance."

"Don't! I'll tell you!" the same guy yelled but it was too late. The rotation of the barrels were now just about ready to fire

Suddenly, the minigun was cut in half and the attacker was revealed to be someone in a cloak and was now standing on a nearby roof

"This is interesting. I thought quincies only used bows and arrows but you have a gun that fires arrows at a massive rate." the attacker said and removed her cloak, revealing the identity to be Soi Fon. "It seems you are more advanced than I first thought."

"That is odd. How did you evade my sensors?" BG9 asked, confused

"You think that a covert assassin cannot hide her spiritual pressure?" Soi Fon asked mockingly

"I see. What is the meaning of your clothing?" BG9 asked again

"My clothing? If you are as well informed as I thought, you should know what this particular clothing means." Soi Fon said as she began walking towards her opponent. "This is shunko." she said as she unleashed a massive wind from behind her

"Of that I am aware. However, your mastery of this technique was incomplete." BG9 pointed out

"And you really think I would leave it that way forever?" Soi Fon countered. "Thanks to you stealing my bankai, I was able to master this technique to this level."

"So, are you saying that in some way, your bankai impedes your ability to train with this technique?" BG9 asked but he never got his answer as Soi Fon flashed right in front of him and punched him right in the abdomen, creating a huge explosion

The nearby soul reapers emerged from they were hiding and cheered as they thought that even Soi Fon won

At that same time, Ikkaku and Yumichika were being weary of their surroundings. Out of nowhere, someone ambushed them and they all fell flat on the ground

"Are these really lieutenant level soul reapers? They didn't even bother to put up a fight." Mask de Masculine commented after thrasing the squad eleven members

Out of nowhere, someone flashed behind him and was able to inflict a slight wound

"You really should be more careful when you're in the middle of a war." the attacker said

"That is a good point. Who are you?" Mask asked

"Squad nine lieutenant, Shuhei Hisagi." he introduced himself

"I see. You must be a better opponent than those two then." Mask mused

"Enough Shuhei. Let's just kill him." another voice called out. "Mashiro Super Kick." she said while hollowfied

Mask turned around and when he did, he was suddenly kicked right in the face and was sent flying

"Mashiro, what the hell?!" Shuhei complained as he too felt the shock from the kick's impact

"What? You're wasting time talking with that guy." Mashiro countered

Mask suddenly flashed behind them and attempted to stomp on them but they managed to dodge it. Mashiro immediately counter attacked and tried to kick him but this time, Mask was prepared for it and dodged them all. This left him open to attack by Shuhei, who flashed behind him, shikai released, and tried to cut him down. Shuhei managed to inflict some wounds but Mask still kept going strong and punched Shuhei into the ground. Mashiro, who moved back due to Shuhei attacking their opponent, now moved in to attack after her comrade went down. She attempted to kick him multiple times and eventually, she landed a hard kick to his side and was knocked away into another building. Mashiro walked over to Shuhei to check on him when suddenly, Mask threw a chunk of wall at the two which ended up crushing them. Mask walked back to the two and removed the wall he threw and found they were finally unconscious. It was then that he noticed a bright light coming down from the sky

"Mister, should we check that out?" a little kid behind him asked

"Let's do that since they're unconscious." Mask responded before a chain suddenly wrapped around one of his feet. "Hmmm?"

"Where do you think you're going?" Shuhei asked weakly. "Do you think you've beaten us just because we went down for a bit?" he asked, trying to act tough

Annoyed, Mask pulled the chain and Shuhei along with it before punching him as he got close. "Indeed I do." he said before slamming him to the ground. As he was about to crush Shuhei's head underfoot, someone else's foot stopped him

"You got beat up before you even showed the results of your training, how pathetic." Kensei berated his unconscious lieutenent. "And you two Mashiro. The hell was the point of the two of you training together if you two can't do anything?"

"I take it you are their comrade then?" Mask asked

"I'm the captain of the sleeveless guy and the green haired girl. Squad nine captain. Kensei Muguruma." he introduced himself

"A captain. How wonderful. Sternritter S 'the Superstar'." Mask returned the gesture. "However, I cannot fight you at the moment. Usually, I would be overjoyed to fight such a person however I must go investigate that flash of light just now."

"Come now. Don't be like that." Rose said as he approached them. "You have two captains right here with you. If you really want to stand out then now is your chance."

"If you insist." Mask replied in glee before he took on the two captains

Meanwhile, someone else also noticed the bright light above the seireitei and moved towards where it was

The source of the light though, was Renji and Rukia who just returned from the royal palace

"Can you feel it Rukia?" Renji asked

"Yeah, captain Muguruma and captain Otoribashi are fighting an opponent nearby. We should help them out first." Rukia replied to which Renji nodded

Just before they could move out, a very large volume of familiar flower petals appeared from behind them. The two noticed this and were barely able to dodge

"You..." Rukia muttered venomously

"As Nodt." Renji said, equally as venomous

"Where?" As Nodt asked simply

"What?" Rukia asked, confused

"Where is the owner of this bankai?" As Nodt yelled before using senbonzakura to attack them both, forcing them to dodge once more. "I wanna finish him off."

"You're never touching my brother again. Dance, Sode no Shirayuki." Rukia said before adopting a stance. "Tsugi no mai Hakuren." she said and launched an avalanche right at As Nodt

As Nodt however, managed to block this using kageyoshi and he only used a few amount of blades as the others attacked Rukia from behind. Rukia was caught off guard by this and attempted to counter to dodge but it was too late, she was wounded by her own brother's bankai. Renji on the other hand, could not really do anything due to how poorly his own shikai matched up against Byakuya's so he attempted to attack As Nodt from behind. As Nodt saw right through this and blocked him before immediately counter attacking while Renji was distracted when Rukia was attacked. This hit him head on and he was slammed against a building

Rukia did not slouch around while Renji had As Nodt's attention and fired another avalanche. This time, it scored a direct hit. It froze As Nodt for a bit but he easily broke free and used kageyoshi to attack Rukia once more

"Bakudo 81, Danku." Rukia said out in an attempted to block and it worked. However, it was all for naught as her brother's bankai had too many blades to be blocked by one barrier alone. Rukia was forced to flash steps into different locations or she would get cut up again

At this point, Renji has just recovered and saw Rukia attempting to dodge. He noticed that As Nodt hadn't realized about him and Renji used that chance. He silently released zabimaru and flashed behind As Nodt. By now, As Nodt finally noticed Renji but was too distracted and was slashed across his back. Renji did not stop there and he attempted to slash again. This time however, all of it was blocked and he was slammed into the ground by the flower petals. Deciding to take them out one at a time, As Nodt released one of his spirit thorns and pointed it at Renji. Before he could pierce his target though, he was stabbed once more in the back before the ground below him. Renji knew this was tsukishiro and immediately flashed away while As Nodt was distracted. Soon enough, a pillar of ice erupted and encased As Nodt

"Think that took him out?" Renji asked

"I highly doubt that but I'm sure that by now, we inflicted some damage on him." Rukia responded before the flower petals caused the pillar of ice to shatter, causing the jaws of the soul reapers to drop as As Nodt appeared to be unharmed by the ice

As Nodt immediately used kageyoshi to attack them, sending them both retreating once more. Eventually, they were a good distance away from him and managed to regroup

"Damn it, looks like one of us will have to go bankai on him." Renji grumbled as they took shelter in one of the buildings

"We can't. Another quincy might show up and steal it." Rukia responded grimly

"But how are we supposed to take this guy down?" Renji retorted

Before they could formulate a plan, the roof was suddenly blown off and As Nodt was standing right above them. Not allowing them to slip away, As Nodt immediately had a bunch of flower petals surround the building they were at before having more attack them head on. The two soul reapers managed to dodge the initial assault but were still trapped and so they both prepared themselves for the inevitable. However, it did not come as another batch of flower petals came and blocked the first

"Hmmm?" As Nodt said and looked at where the other flower petals came from. "I see you have come, Byakuya Kuchiki."

The two soul reapers were surprised at what As Nodt said and looked at the same direction

"Brother..." Rukia said

"Captain..." Renji muttered

"Renji. Go help captain Muguruma and captain Otoribashi. Rukia and I will remain here." Byakuya ordered

"Alright captain. Be careful Rukia." Renji said before leaving

"Are you sure that was wise?" As Nodt asked

Byakuya on the other hand, ignored the question and just focused on his adopted sister. "Rukia, release your bankai and kill him. I will make sure no one comes here and steals it."

Rukia hesitated for a moment before deciding to trust her brother. "Yes brother. Bankai, Hakka no Tagame."

With her bankai release, the air became cold and the flower petals from senbonzakura kageyoshi froze. As Nodt realized his situation and released his vollstandig. This caused him to transform into a hideous creature and attempted to send both Rukia and Byakuya into the deepest depths of fear. However, Byakuya was staying at a safe distance and it had to effect on Rukia. As Nodt wondered why this was before Byakuya told him that Rukia's bankai literally kills her, depriving her of her ability to sense emotions. Unwilling to accept that, As Nodt transformed once more into an even more hideous form. This was futile as Rukia just froze him completely before shattering the ice, killing him at last

Once their opponent was dead, Byakuya helped Rukia out of her bankai. After it was finished, Rukia noticed the frozen flower petals on the ground and was horrified at what she had done

"Brother... I'm so sorry." Rukia said sadly while looking down in shame

"Do not worry about it Rukia. It was either that or we both die." Byakuya said reassuringly which did calm her down but not by much."Let's go help the others." he said and began to walk away

Rukia however, decided not to follow him when she noticed something on the ground. It was As Nodt's medallion. She looked around and saw her brother's bankai going back to said object

"Rukia?" Byakuya asked when he noticed her not following him. He looked at his sister and saw her picking up a medallion on the ground

"Let's take this with us brother so that no one else can use your bankai." Rukia said carefully, hoping not to upset her brother

"Very well. That is a good idea." Byakuya said, much to Rukia's surprise and they soon began to head where Renji was. They were surprised however, when they found that Renji had already killed the sternritter attacking Kensei and Rose

"How are they Renji?" Byakuya asked as he and Rukia observed the fallen captains

"They're barely alive. If they don't get any medical attention soon, they will die." Renji responded grimly

"I see. Let's head to squad four barracks then and see what we can find. Maybe lieutenant Kotetsu cna do something about this." Byakuya ordered

"Yes captain." Renji replied and picked Kensei up while Byakuya picked up the other

"Rukia, you guard us while we are moving." Byakuya said

"Yes brother." Rukia replied and the three of them went on their way

Meanwhile, with Toshiro and Rangiku, the two were just about ready to leave when a very familiar voice suddenly called out to them

"Oi where do you two think you're going?" Bazz B called out

This alerted all the soul reapers in the vicinity as they thought the sternritter was dead

"You know, I've actually been nice enough and only used one finger, but it seems like you two are really forcing my hand." Bazz B said casually while melting the ice

Rangiku almost immediately released her shikai again and created another wall of ash around their opponent while Toshiro attempted to use the same trick and create a wall of ice. "Get back, all of you." Toshiro ordered to the men in the area

"I told you. That won't work." Bazz B said as he almost instantly melted the ice. "Burner Finger 2." he said while pointing two fingers at the soul reapers. The two however, managed to dodge it while some of the other soul reapers were unfortunate and they were burned to ashes. "You know, let me tell you a little secret." Bazz B said while they two were retreating. "I was one of the sternritters that attempted to kill your precious head captain however, the three of us who did attack him were all burned by his flames. So how are the three of us alive then?" he asked as he got curious looks from his opponents. "It's because the sheer force of my flames were enough to stop the old man's in its tracks." he gloated before firing another torrent of flames at them. "Burner Finger 2."

"Rangiku split up and retreat. Let's regroup somewhere else." Toshiro ordered while running

"Yes captain." Rangiku didn't even hesitate to obey and immediately tried to head to another direction. Before she could however, she was suddenly attacked by another torrent of flame and she dropped to the ground, suffering some burns

"Rangiku!" Toshiro yelled and attempted to head to his fallen subordinate when suddenly, someone attacked him with a torrent of ice, creating what appeared to be an icicle and pierced him right in the abdomen from behind. "What?" Toshiro asked weakly while turning around as he too fell down

"Cang Du? The hell are you doing here? Don't steal someone else's prey." Bazz B complained to their attacker

"It is you who should back off Bazz B. It was his majesty's order that those who have stolen a bankai, should be the ones to kill the owners." Cang Du pointed out

This made Bazz B snort in annoyance and began walking to a different direction. "Fine. Whatever."

The same situation also happened to Soi Fon. Before she could leave the area, BG9 suddenly spoke through the smoke and revealed himself to be barely scathed from the attack although his cloak was ripped apart

"You... You're still breathing are you?" Soi Fon said angrily

"I was never breathing to begin with." BG9 retorted and began to walk slowly. "You might be wondering how I was able to survive such an attack. I will tell you. I am sternritter K 'the knowledge' and my power is to be able to survive any attack that is not yet known to me. Since your mastered shunko was unknown, I was able to survive it and gather information about it. And now that I know about it, you can use it to kill me, however that won't work as I can formulate a strategy to counter it." BG9 said and attempted to pierce Soi Fon using multiple tentacle like protrusions coming out of his back

Soi Fon managed to dodge them all due to her being a very agile fighter. "You filthy monster. So you're a mechanical doll or something?"

"Your completed shunko gave me valuable information. However, if this is the best you can do, then I will not have a need to use your stolen bankai." BG9 said as the sides of his forarms opened up and revealed what appeared to be rockets. It then fired all of the rockets at Soi Fon, scoring a direct hit

Soi Fon however, emerged from the blast and was retreating to recover herself. "Do you really think you can take my life that easily?" she said before attempting to use another shunko. Before she could do anything though, she was suddenly pierced with more of the tentacle like protrusions and this time, it did not miss. It did not take long before Soi Fon too, fell to the ground

Somwhere else in the seireitei, Zaraki was not paying any attention to the invasion. All he cared about was looking for Yachiru, who had vanished completely since he attained his shikai. He did come across some quincy soldats but he just killed them as they only got in the way. For the moment Zaraki decided to just sit down on top of a building, thinking about where to search next

"Whatcha doing Kenny?" a very familiar voice asked

Zaraki immediately turned around and saw Yachiru just standing there. "Yachiru? Where have you been?"

Instead of answering, Yachiru instead shaked her head sideways. "I'm not Yachiru."

"What?" Zaraki asked, confused

"What is the name of your zanpakuto Kenny?" she asked

"Nozarashi?" Zaraki said uncertainly, more confused than ever

"That's right Kenny. I am Nozarashi. Because of your massive spirit energy, I was able to manifest myself outside. Even though you didn't know my name until recently, I am still your zanpakuto." she responded happily

"So you chose a little girl to be your manifestation?" Zaraki asked

"Nuh uh. I could only manifest as a little girl because you didn't know my name. Now, I can manifest as my true form but I chose to stick with this just for familiarity." Yachiru responded in happy tone, just like previously

"I see." Zaraki said simply while looking down in shame. He was rather sad and surprised that the one person he cared about was actually his own zanpakuto

"Don't worry Kenny. I'm not mad at you. In fact, I'm rather glad that I still got time to spend with you even though you didn't know me yet. So let's go kill the quincies and have some fun." Yachiru said as she hopped on Zaraki's left shoulder

This made Zaraki grin as that was all the encouragement he needed. "Alright then. Let's go." he yelled while laughing maniacally

From where the squad five barracks once was, Shinji and Momo just stood around, feeling the battles that were raging. From where Toshiro and Soi Fon appeared to be winning, to Kensei and Rose being defeated to Rukia and Renji's arrival

"Captain Hirako, shouldn't we go help the others?" Momo asked uncertainly

"We should but it's annoying. So many battles to choose from." Shinji just muttered. He thought about it for a few minutes and decided that since Rose and Kensei were the ones who were having a rough battle, they would go to them first. Before he could though, someone called out

"Well, since you appear to be free, why don't you fight us instead?" a polite voice said with another guy walking up to him

"Uh who are you two?" Shinji asked

"Sternritter U 'the underbelly', Nanana Najahkoop."

"Sternritter N 'the nullifier', Robert Accutrone."

"Well, I usually don't like to fight but whatever." Shinji said and immediately attacked them. The quincies were able to parry his attacks and tried to counter attack but Shinji dodged it. This was however just a distraction as Momo used her shikai to send a few fireballs, scoring a direct hit. However, the squad five members knew this was far from over.

They were shocked though when not a single fireball manage to inflict so much as a scratch upon their opponents

"What? How can they be completely unscathed?" Momo asked in pure shock

"I am sternritter N 'the Nullifier', and my power is to render any non direct attacks aimed at me completely useless. In other words, if you were to fight me, you would have to wound us directly with your swords. Nothing else will work." Robert answered

"Good to know then." another voice came and this one managed to put a scratch on Robert as he managed to blindside him

"Tetsuzaemon." Momo said in relief

"I see. So this will be a three on two then." Robert replied as he along with Nanana took on Shinji, Momo and Tetsuzaemon

Meanwhile, Rukia, Renji and Byakuya were still moving towards where the squad four barracks once were since they felt Isane still being in that area when suddenly, multiple soul reapers arrived and ambushed them

"What are you guys doing?" Rukia asked as she fended them off rather easily

The soul reapers didn't respond and instead kept on coming and attacking the trio.

"Brother, Renji, just keep moving. I'll take care of these guys." Rukia said and the two guys listened. Rukia easily fended them off although eventually, their numbers were starting to take its toll. She then decided to instead release her shikai and trap them all in ice. All three of them were soon forced to stop when someone dropped down in front and blocked the path. It was none other than Jidanbo

"Sorry soul reapers, those guys can't hear anything anymore. They only listen to me." Giselle said from atop Jidanbo's head

"What did you do to them?" Byakuya calmly asked

"Oh I turned them into zombies. Nothing big." Giselle said happily

"Damn you." Renji said and put Kensei on the ground. "Roar, Zabimaru." he yelled and attempted to kill the girls. To his shock however, another girl, a pink haired one, blocked the attack with her bare hand

"Now now. It's rather rude to attack a girl you know." Meninas scolded

"Who are you guys?" Rukia demanded to know

"Sternritter Z 'the zombie', Giselle Gewelle."

"Sternritter P 'the power', Meninas McAllon."

"Sternritter G 'the glutton', Liltotto Lamperd."

"I see." Rukia said before pointing her palm at the them. "Hado 73, soren sokatsui." she yelled and two bursts of blue energy

They were all surprised when Liltotto's mouth suddenly elongated and enlarged and just ate the kido. "That tasted bad." she simply said

"Brother, Renji, get the captains out of here. I'll buy you some time and catch up." Rukia said and with some hesitation, they prioritized their fallen comrades first and went on ahead

"Where do you think you're going?" Giselle asked as more zombies suddenly appeared and blocked their way

"Damn it, this is bad. Looks like we're gonna have to fight them first."Renji realized

"It seems so." Byakuya said as he drew his sword along with Renji. The two then attacked the zombies and unhesitatingly cut them down, despite them being their former comrades subordinates

While they were distracted in fighting the zombies, Meninas sneaked up behind Renji and punched him in the back, causing him to fall down. Before he could recover, Meninas picked him up and threw him right at Byakuya. Byakuya however, noticed this and was able to dodge. He was then forced to release his shikai so as to gain an advantage against their current opponent, who appeared to have increased physical strength. This did put Meninas on the retreat as she was forced to dodge his flower petals. Rukia on the other hand, was still busy freezing dozens of zombies however, more just kept on coming and coming. Eventually, she managed to lure them in to certain spot and use her tsukishiro technique and froze them all. Before she could go help her brother and Renji, a volley of arrows was heading her way and she was forced to dodge them all. These attacks however, were nothing more than a diversion as Rukia then noticed Giselle looking over the bodies of Kensei and Rose

"Brother! Renji!" Rukia yelled and pointed at the two captains. Renji, who had just recovered, noticed this along with Byakuya

Giselle was busy dropping her blood into them but nothing happened. She realized that they must still be alived and use a dagger to stab them right in the necks, which the soul reaper trio were helpless to stop. The three of them immediately disregarded their current opponents and charged at Giselle. It was all for naught as Rose and Kensei were now zombified and blocked their attacks. The zombified captains now pressed their attacks due to the shock the soul reapers were experiencing and had them on the ropes as more and more zombies appeared while the three sternritters went back to ride on Jidanbo

"You really should be more careful. I've been gathering more zombies since this assault began. Since the seireitei was littered with corpses, it wasn't much of a problem." Giselle pointed out

Renji and Byakuya considered going all out but they didn't want to damage Kensei or Rose too much in the hopes of Mayuri finding a way to dezombify them. This hope however, was fading as the two zombie captains were far more powerful zombies than the ones they fought first and it did not take long before the two were cornered. Rukia was faring better as she was only engaging regular zombies as the zombie captains chose to engage Renji and Byakuya first. Just when they thought that either they die, or every zombie, including Kensei and Rose dies, they all head a maniacal laughter heading their way. They were all shocked, including the three sternritters, when someone was just cutting his way through an army of zombies and headed straight for Jidanbo, cutting him in two while the three sternritters were forced to jump off of him. The new attacker was none other than Kenpachi Zaraki, who sported a massive grin on his face

**-Hueco Mundo-**

The arrancars were still in hueco mundo. Unlike Ichigo, they had absolutely no way to know when the quincies would attack so their only source of information was Ichigo. They thought about doing some more training while waiting but ultimately decided against so that they wouldn't be worn down by the time the head to the soul society

Before the invasion began, Ichigo was outside las noches and he was sparring with a manifested White. As usual, White nearly beat him in both close combat and using spirit energy. It became clear who the more powerful fighter was but that did not bother Ichigo at all. Ulquiorra has been observing the two spar and after a while, he went back to the fortress

The others were just in one of the palace's in the fortress. They decided to stay at Harribel's since it was the biggest one of them all. Over the past few months, Ichigo brought them stuff such as books and board games to entertain them and while they were grateful, they still made it their priority to train for the possible attack. At the moment, the tres bestias were playing some monopoly with the quincy girls while Starrk slept as usual with Lilynette bugging him and the two female espadas just reading their books. There was nothing else they could do to pass the time and despite that, they were preparting themselves for the battle. Ulquiorra soon arrived and joined them in staying at the palace

Nearly an hour later, Ichigo and White finally noticed something as they were sparring, the wandenreich have finally attacked. White decided to head back inside Ichigo while Ichigo himself used his high speed regeneration to heal himself before heading back to the fortress. It didn't take long for him to reach Harribel's palace and found all the occupants in the main room

"It has begun." Ichigo said, which grabbed everyone's attention

* * *

**Finally finished this one. It took a bit longer than usual because keeping track of so many characters is a giant pain in the ass and I think I may have missed a few but whatever. It is what it is so enjoy. Just to clear things up, the part of hueco mundo was happening in the hours before the attack**


	42. Chapter 41

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Forty One - The Scales Balanced**

**-Karakura Town-**

Everyone was still at the Urahara shop. They were still in the dark and had no idea that the wandenreich have already launched their second invasion. Everyone was still worried about the inevitable invasion and the possiblity that the soul society would be wiped out when Tessai suddenly walked up to where everyone was gathered

"Boss. The senkaimon is fixed." Tessai said when he approached them

"What? How did you fix it?" Yoruichi asked curiously

"I didn't. When I checked it just now, everything was back to normal. I decided to test it out and it works." Tessai answered

"Well, then let's go already baldy." Hiyori declared before Love suddenly lifted her off the ground. "Hey, what's the big idea Love?"

"It might be a trap. For all we know, we might be able to enter only to be suddenly trapped in the precipice world once we're on the move." Lisa answered

"Lisa's right. We need to be sure about it first otherwise we would only end up in a worse situation than we are now." Hachigen agreed

"That is true but time is also ticking. For all we know, the quincies might have already attacked again." Ganju pointed out

"Which wouldn't matter either way if we're not able to get there." Lisa argued

"So what's our move then?" Hiyori grumbled as everyone then looked to Kisuke to see what he thinks

"I'll send something and see if it goes through safely." Kisuke said after some thinking

"And what exactly are you gonna send?" Hiyori asked

"I'll find something. It shouldn't be too hard to make. Tessai, help me with this." Kisuke ordered and left to find something

"Yes boss." Tessai answered as he followed Kisuke

"So what the hell are we supposed to do?" Hiyori grumbled as they left

"We wait. Lisa is right. If we get trapped in the precipice world then we wouldn't of any help in this war. The thirteen court guard squads will just have to hold until then." Isshin pointed out

"You're Ichigo's father right?" Lisa asked who got a nod from Isshin. "I've been curious about something. Is he gay?" she asked seriously

"You know, I wonder about that myself." Isshin answered with a laugh

And just like that, the entire room broke out in laughter

Nearly an hour later, Kisuke and Tessai came back to the others who were busy doing some random stuff to pass the time

"Well, what is it Kisuke?" Isshin asked

"Well, there is some good news and bad news." Kisuke answered nervously

"Start with the good news." Hiyori ordered before anyone else could respond

"The good news is it works perfectly. Everything is back to normal." Kisuke said jovially

"And the bad news?" Yoruichi asked nervously

"The quincies have attacked already. From what I was able to gather, they attacked not that long ago. Toshiro and Soi Fon are already fighting a couple of them and appear to be losing along with Kensei and Rose." Kisuke answered

"WHAT!" Hiyori yelled out. "Let's go then." she said and before anyone could do something, she already jumped down the ladder

"So now what?" Lisa asked

"Now, let's go. If it really works then we should get there soon." Love said before jumping down himself

It didn't take long for Kisuke and Tessai to make the final preparations for the journey. Kisuke especially made sure that he brought the stuff he made that would recover the bankai. While uncertain if it will work, it was still better than nothing

"Is everyone ready?" Kisuke asked

"We are baldy. Let's just go already." Hiyori yelled and just charged through the senkaimon

This made everyone sight at Hiyori's recklessness but she did have a point

"Let's go." Kisuke said before looking at Chad and Orihime, who have been quiet since this morning. "You two stick with me and Tessai. The last thing we need is the quincies capturing Orihime." he ordered and got nods from the two teenagers and looked at Yoruichi. "You might need this." he said and handed her something. Soon enough, they all went, including Tessai, into the soul society

-**Soul Society-**

It didn't take long for Kisuke's group to reach the soul society. When they arrived, they were somewhere near the west rukongai district and they could just feel the battles raging. From Kyoraku's battle in the squad one barracks to even where Zaraki was busy cutting a lot of stuff down. What caught their attention the most is that Soi Fon and Toshiro's spiritual pressures were dangerously low

"Soi Fon..." Yoruichi muttered before she suddenly flashed away as fast as her legs could carry her

"I'll be going as well." Isshin said before he too left for the seireitei

"Where are you guys gonna go?" Kisuke asked the visored

"I'm going to help Shinji. I'm gonna kick baldy's ass if he got beaten by these quincies." Hiyori said

"I'll go along with her. You guys go to Rose and Kensei." Lisa said to the others

"Alright. They appear to be with Byakuya Kuchiki so we'll head to his direction." Love said to which Hachi nodded. "What about you and Tessai?"

"We'll head towards where Mayuri is. We might need their help to scatter these things." Kisuke said got a nod from the visored as they left

"What about us mr Kisuke?" Orihime asked timidly while gesturing to Chad

"For now, you two stick with us towards squad twelve. Once we arrive, we'll contact Isane and see if you can help get any of the wounded back into action." Kisuke answered before motioning towards the seireitei. "Let's go."

"Alright. Hanataro and myself will head towards the squad four barracks." Ganju said which made the others nod before they all left

Somewhere in the city, Yhwach noticed the new arrivals and mused to himself. "So, you have arrived, Kisuke Urahara."

"Your majesty, we are now preparing to keep the barriers to the royal palace open." Askin said as he approached Yhwach

"How long will it take?" Yhwach asked

"At most, forty minutes, your majesty." Askin answered

"Very well then." Yhwach said as he continued to look at the battles below while Uryu, who was standing behind him, was growing increasingly nervous due to how his friends were now here

With Soi Fon, she was just pierced by BG9's protrusions and fell to the ground. "It seems this is all you are capable of without your bankai." BG9 said as he grew out more protrusions in order to study his fallen adversary

Before it could though, all of the protrusions were suddenly cut down. BG9 looked to who did the deed and saw Yoruichi Shihoin carrying a defeated Soi Fon

"Lady Yoruichi..." Soi Fon muttered weakly

"Don't worry Soi Fon. I'll get you out of here." Yoruichi answered

"This is interesting. According to the daten, you do not have a zanpakuto." BG9 commented

"You must be mistaken then. I'm still a soul reaper, I just choose not to use my zanpakuto unless I have no choice." Yoruichi answered

"In that case, how come you did not use it during your little skirmish with Aizen?" BG9 pointed out

"Well, for one thing, it had a bad matchup against his Kyoka Suigetsu. For another, I just don't like using it so I save it for moments like this." Yoruichi answered with a smirk

"I see. Well then, let us see what it's abilities really are." BG9 said before launching a horde of protrusions at them to which Yoruichi easily dodged. It fired more of those and she simply cut them all down before retreating, carrying a wounded Soi Fon. "Not even gonna release your zanpakuto?"

"I would give you that honor, if you're robot enough to force me to do so." Yoruichi answered teasingly before pointing her palm at it. "Shakahho." she said and fired multiple red orbs at her opponent

"That won't work." BG9 said before firing rockets at its opponent

Yoruichi once more dodged them all however, she soon realized that she wasn't the actual target. When she noticed they were all aimed at Soi Fon, she immediately spun around. "Bakudo 81 Danku." she muttered before a barrier blocked most of the explosion

Seizing the opportunity, BG9 attempted to pierce her through while she was distracted but Yoruichi managed to sidestep and barely dodge. This left the mechanical sternritter wide open and Yoruichi was quick to take advantage as she flashed right in front of her opponent before slashing it multiple times. Caught off guard by her speed, BG9 was helpless to stop her and was too damaged. BG9 dropped to the ground, too damaged by her attack as she sliced of its arms and legs. Yoruichi did not even waste a single moment and promptly stabbed the sternritter right in the head. While she was not sure it was dead, at least it won't be able to give chase. Yoruichi went to pick up Soi Fon and away they went towards wherever Kisuke was. Before she did however, she noticed a medallion on BG9's dismantled body and decided to take it with her

Toshiro was in no better spot as he too was just cut down. Bazz B just left the scene, annoyed that Cang Du showed up to take his prey

"Now, time for you to die. It is my belief that those who lived together, should die together." Cang Du said as he was grabbing his medallion. "Bankai, Daiguren Hyorinmaru." he muttered before ice wings grew out of his back. Before he could do anything though, his wings were suddenly cut off. "What?" he wondered as he was looking around. He looked at Toshiro and Rangiku and saw that someone was picking them up. "Who are you?" he demanded to know

"Isshin Kurosaki." he identified himself

"I see. So you are Ichigo Kurosaki's father." Cang Du noted

"Indeed I am. Burn Engetsu." Isshin said and released his zanpakuto, which caused spirit energy to coat around it in the form of a trail of flames before moving to attack his opponent

Cang Du immediately regrew his wings and used them to block the attack. The two then clashed swords time and time again without anyone gaining the upper hand. Eventually, Isshin managed to cut right through the wings and onto Cang Du's shoulder, wounding him. When Cang Du tried to recover himself, Isshin kicked him away. Cang Du immediately recovered and sent a torrent of ice at Isshin

This time, Isshin was forced to dodged. Despite the significantly weaker strength of the attack, he did not take the chance and be too severely wounded. Cang Du decided to change tactics and used Toshiro's guncho tsurara and fired a bunch of icicle daggers

"Bakudo 81, Danku." Isshin muttered and blocked the attack. Most of it was blocked however, a few managed to get past and cut him slightly on his arms. Deciding to counter attack, Isshin slashed down his sword the instant the icicle barrage ended. "Getsuga Tensho." he yelled

Cang Du barely managed to dodge and was wounded on the left side of his body. He knew this battle was going poorly and he was getting reckless by not using his own power. While he was busy planning his next move, Isshin already moved in for a close quarter confrontation and Cang Du barely managed to block. Isshin did not let up and continuously attacked Cang Du, this time Cang Du was forced to use his blut vene at full power along with his own power, the iron, just to avoid being wounded. Cang Du eventually managed to push Isshin away using the tail of his stolen bankai before firing a hyoryu senbi technique, launching a cresent shaped ice at his opponent. Isshin managed to parry this attack with his sword. This effectively stopped the ice in its tracks and he only used a single slash. However, to his dismay, it was only a distraction as Cang Du flashed in front of him and slammed him into a building using the dragon's tail. Not giving his opponent a change to recover, Cang Du immediately launched another hyoryu senbi technique

Isshin was still recovering himself and had no time to dodge. Before he was hit though, black flames suddenly erupted from the ground and got rid of the ice, much to the shock of both fighters. Taking advantage of the shock, Isshin flashed right behind Cang Du and unleashed a massive getsuga tensho, critically wounding him as he dropped to the ground with the bankai dissipating. Isshin then noticed the bankai returning to a medallion. Figuring that was the device used to steal it, Isshin took it and put it in his pocket before moving towards his former subordinates. He put Rangiku over his back while carrying Toshiro on his side before moving to where Orihime was, who was still with Kisuke

'What was that?' Isshin wondered as he was moving. Little did he know, it was his own son that just saved him even though that attack was not gonna kill him

Bazz B observed the whole fight from a nearby rooftop and was annoyed at what he saw. "Tch. You tell me to back off and you get yourself nearly killed. You even lost your medallion. How lame." said to himself. After a while of thinking, he decided to hide Cang Du's body. While he had no intention of helping him, at least he would get him somewhere he wouldn't needlessly die. After all, he wanted to rub his failure to his face

At the former squad one barracks, Kyoraku and Haschwalth were still busy with their fight. It was about even due to Nanao's special barrier preventing Haschwalth from doing much while Kyoraku would block any attempt by Haschwalth to target his lieutenant. Suddenly, a quincy cross appeared behind Haschwalth and he looked at it

"Understood." Haschwalth said before sheathing his sword

"You leaving so soon?" Kyoraku curiously asked

"His majesty's orders are absolute. I have been ordered to head back to his side." Haschwalth responded

"When will you be back?" Kyoraku asked

"When I have been ordered to." Haschwalth answered before leaving

"Alright. I'll be sure to give you a proper greeting by then." Kyoraku said

Meanwhile, the tables have turned as Zaraki arrived in to help Byakuya and the others. Although there was still an army of zombies, at least now they wouldn't be much of a problem

"So what happened to those two?" Zaraki asked while looking at Kensei and Rose

"They got turned into zombies. Anything the blood of that girl with the black hair comes in contact with turns into one." Renji responded grimly

"This is bad. That guy is Kenpachi Zaraki." Liltotto noted to her compatriots

"What should we do? We can't fight Zaraki with these three here." Meninas said

"Let's fight and kill him. He'll make one hell of a zombie." Giselle said happily to which she got a couple bonks to hear head, courtesy of Liltotto and Meninas. "What was that for?!" she whined

"You idiot. None of us are a match for Zaraki now. We need to retreat." Liltotto said sternly. Before they could do anything, they heard Zaraki yell

"Enough talking. Let's just kill them all." Zaraki declared before charging at the zombie army, cutting down many of them in just a single slash

"Captain Zaraki wait..." Rukia called out but was ignored

"Don't bother Rukia. There is no point in us doing so. Let's just help him." Byakuya said and released his shikai, covering for Zaraki

"This is bad." Meninas noted

"Okay, we have to retreat like now." Liltotto declared

Giselle was hesitant to do so before she decided on her course of action. She used her blood to heal Jidanbo and he was restored to one piece. She then had Jidanbo cut off his arm and threw it in a different direction, right before Zaraki cleaved him, again

"What did you do that for?" Liltotto asked as she grabbed Giselle by her collar and dragged her away

"My blood is coursing through giant there. By spilling it over at a different place, I will create more zombies." Giselle whined while she was dragged away while they retreated

"Good. Keep Zaraki busy then and don't stop creating zombies." Meninas told her while they were moving away

"Roger that." Giselle responded happily. Before they could retreat any further, a couple guys blocked their way

"Where do you girls think you're going?" Love asked as he and Hachi stood in their way

"And just who might you be?" Meninas curiously asked. She genuinely had no clue who they were

"Just nobody important. What's important is that you're not getting away." Love retorted

Liltotto observed them for a second before she put it together and realized who they were. "I get it now. You were the ones Sosuke Aizen turned into experiments a few decades ago right?"

"So they're the visored guys?" Giselle asked

"Indeed we are." Hachi confirmed as his hands glowed

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Liltotto asked with a smirk

"What do you mean?" Hachi asked

"Giselle here just turned a couple of your visored captains into her pet zombies. If you engage us now then Kenpachi Zaraki might end up killing them." Liltotto said, still smirking

"Damn, this is bad. Hachi, you go to Kensei and Rose. Try to incapacitate them if you can and do it quickly." Love said in a concerned voice

"Alright, I'll leave them to you." Hachi said as he flashed away

The moment he left though, Love was suddenly punched right in the gut and was sent flying into a building

'Damn. I really felt that one.' Love thought as he picked himself up and walked back out. He saw the girls still looking at him. Deciding not to play fair, he flashed and attempted to target Giselle first. Since they revealed that she was the one responsible for creating the zombies they saw, he figured that killing him would stop the zombie army. Before his blade could make contact with his intended target, another one of the girls caught it bare handedly. 'What?' he thought in shock

"You really should be more careful. There are three of us here. You can't just target one and ignore the others." Giselle pointed out happily

"She is right you know." Meninas said and swiftly kicked him, knocking him away

Liltotto did not slouch around and she immediately summoned her bow and fired an arrow right at him. Love managed to dodge this and resumed his offensive. This time, he aimed at whoever was closest to him. Meninas however, caught his blade bare handedly again and held him still. Giselle and Liltotto immediately fired an arrow right at him, scoring a hit and wounding him before Meninas threw him away

"Damn. Who are you?" Love asked the pink haired girl as he was bleeding a bit

"Sternritter P 'the power', Meninas McAllon. My power is enhanced physical strength." she replied

The other two then decided to join in on the introductions although Liltotto did not bother fully telling who she was. "Liltotto Lamperd."

"Sternritter Z 'the zombie', Giselle Gewelle. I'm the one who turned your friends into zombies." she said cheerfully

Instead of waiting for his response, Meninas flashed to him and kicked him again, sending him to a building. Love then decided that just because his opponents were girls, he would no longer hold back

"Slam, Tengumaru." he said and released his shikai, before swinging it down, it hit Meninas head on but the other two dodged. When he lifted it up, he saw Meninas barely scathed by the attack and there appeared to be a blue grid like pattern on her body

Meninas then picked up the sword of a nearby dead soul reaper and engaged Love in close quarter combat. While she was not that skilled with one, she did know how to wield a sword. With her enhanced strength, she put Love on the defensive while the other two just watched. Since Meninas was in close proximity to their opponent, they didn't want to take the chance and hit her by accident

Realizing that he was outmatched right now, Love put on his hollow mask when he got the chance and leveled the playing field. This time it was Meninas who was on the defensive as Love's increased strength pushed her back. Eventually, she left herself open to an attack and Love quickly took advantage of as he shoved her into a building. He then pointed his shikai at the other two. "Hifuki no Koduchi." he muttered and sent a fireball their way. The girls were barely able to dodge this and suffered slight burns from the attack

While Love was preparing to attack Giselle and Liltotto, he was suddenly slashed from behind by Meninas as he had his back against her. This caused him to turn around and swing his shikai at her, which scored a direct hit and pushed her away. Taking advantage of the distraction, Giselle fired a few arrows right at his back, which grabbed his attention. The moment Love turned around, Liltotto had fired an arrow targetting a specific spot, his hollow mask. It hit its mark and Love's mask shattered. Knowing he would get blindsided if he targeted the two, Love swung his sword towards his back, hoping to catch Meninas off guard. It went horribly wrong as Meninas now had wings coming out of her back and her strength increased by a few levels. She easily caught his shikai before attempting to take it from him. Noticing what she was doing, Liltotto used her powers and bit Love on one of his arms, causing him to let go of his sword. Before he could do anything, Meninas slammed the giant spiked punching bag shaped shikai of his right on him, knocking him unconscious

"Finally." Giselle said as he walked over to their fallen opponent. She summoned a dagger and stabbed Love right at the neck before she dropped some of her blood on him. Soon enough, he turned into one of her zombies

"Now what?" Meninas asked

"Now we go back. I want those zombie captains back." Giselle said

Before they could do anything though, they felt Zaraki and the others coming their direction. "We'll have to do that later. We need to move." Liltotto said as she once more grabbed Giselle by the collar and the three retreated

While Love was fighting the girls though, Hachi made it in time as zombie Kensei and Rose were fending off Zaraki. The two zombies managed to push Zaraki away. Before Zaraki or the zombie captains could do anything, a barrier was suddenly formed and it prevented the zombies from doing anything

"What the...?" Zaraki muttered and looked up

"Hachigen Ushoda. You have come." Byakuya noted

"I'm sorry I'm late. We had a bit of trouble at the Urahara shop." Hachi said politely

"What kind of troubles?" Renji curiously asked

"Now's not the time for that Renji, look." Rukia said as she pointed towards the side and saw another zombie army coming their way

"How do they have that many zombies?" Hachi asked

"It seems that any corpse that comes in contact with the blood of the black haired sternritter turns into a zombie. Since she already turned Jidanbo into a zombie, she used him to quickly spread her blood, thereby creating even more zombies while we fought off Kensei and Rose." Byakuya explained

"Details details. If there are more zombies then we cut them down." Zaraki yelled as he charged into the zombie army, cutting most of them up. Suddenly, the zombie army began to retreat, much to his disappointment

Soon though, the zombies retreated and Hachi felt Love's spiritual pressure drop to a really low level. He looked at where he came from and frowned

"What is it Hachigen?" Byakuya asked

"It seems that Love has been defeated by the quincies." Hachi said with a hint of sadness in his voice

"Then let's go. The longer you wait around thinking the more time we waste." Zaraki said and before anyone could object, he already left

They soon arrived to where Love was and found no signs of the sternritter. They were then suddenly attacked by a zombified Love, who targetted Zaraki specifically. Before Zaraki could end up fighting him, Hachi quickly trapped Love in a barrier the same way he did to Kensei and Rose

"Damn..." Zaraki grumbled before turning around. "I'm gonna go find some other quincy to fight then."

"We should take them to Kisuke. Orihime is with him so maybe she can do something about it." Hachi suggested

"Alright then Hachigen." Byakuya agreed and Hachi used a bakudo to created ropes so that they can drag the zombified captains to their destination

In another part of the seireitei, Shinji, Momo and Tetsuzaemon were still fighting Nanana and Robert. Momo and Tetsuzaemon were next to useless in this fight and were swiftly defeated. This left Shinji in a two on one fight but he was holding his own. Things changed dramatically when Shinji released his shikai. Robert's nullifier power had no effect since sakanade's power was not an attacking one while Nanana could not begin to analyze Shinji's spiritual pressure due to how his senses were disoriented. The two sternritters soon realized this was bad and was considering to release their vollstandigs

While Shinji was busy toying around with the two sternritters, Lisa and Hiyori arrived and watched the battle from the top of a nearby building

"The hell does baldy think he's doing?" Hiyori grumbled as she observed the fight

"It seems that Shinji has the upper hand. Maybe his zanpakuto gives him the advantage against those two." Lisa said with a thoughtful expression. "Should we help him?"

"Of course we will. That's the reason we even came here in the first place. Let's go." Hiyori said as she headed towards the fight. It did not take long for Lisa to follow suit

Just when the sternritters were about to release their vollstandigs, they were suddenly cut down by two soul reapers with hollow masks. When they were distracted, Shinji used this chance to cut them down and they soon fell to the ground. Whether they were alive or not remains to be seen

"Hey, Lisa, Hiyori. Nice timing you got." Shinji greeted but received a kick to the face from Hiyori. "What the hell was that for Hiyori?!"

"I should be the one asking you that. What in the hell do you think you're doing toying around with your opponents like that?! You could have gotten yourself killed Baldy!" Hiyori yelled back

"So you actually care about me?" Shinji asked, surprised but instead of an answer, he got another kick to his face and this time, it sent him flying into a building

"Damn baldy." Hiyori grumbled, a bit embarassed

"That was a rather nice attack there." Nanana said as he got up, having fully analyzed both Hiyori and Lisa's spiritual pressures

This shocked the visored girls as they could have sworn that the two were dead. Right before they could do anything, a grid patterns suddenly appeared and they were immobilized, before the were knocked unconscious

"You really should be more careful and never do anything reckless. You simply assumed that just because you managed to cut us down, you have won." Robert pointed out

"Don't you think it's a bit rude to pick on girls?" Shinji said as he walked out of the building he was kicked to

"Not really. I mean, those two did attack us from out of nowhere so I don't think me doing that was unwarranted. Besides, they're still alive, just unconscious." Nanana argued

"That's a fair point. Anyway, ready for round two?" Shinji said as he got into a fighting stance

The other two prepared for the fight as well but everyone, including Shinji, widened their eyes when they felt someone with a massive spiritual pressure. All of them recognized this as only two people in the soul society can possess this much spiritual pressure and one of them is imprisoned, or so they thought, so that leaves only Kenpachi Zaraki

"Is that...?" Robert muttered as he looked at the direction it was coming from

"I think so. It's..." Nanana said but was interrupted when one of the buildings was destroyed and they all head a very familiar maniacal laughter

Zaraki burst out of the building and immediately charged at the two sternritters. He tried to slice them both up but they were able to dodge however, he was relentless and he chased after them. The two sternritters tried to attack him with their bow and pistol. It scored direct hits but all it appeared to do was tickle Zaraki

"This is bad. We have to go vollstandig on this." Nanana noted

"Not just yet." Robert said as he was looking around while at the same he got a curious look from his comrade

Nanana followed Robert's lead on looking around and found somethign odd. Shinji was missing. They immediately knew that this was a trap and moved out. Their hunch was proven when they were suddenly attacked from behind by Zaraki when he appeared to be right in front of them. This time however, the attack was stronger than the ones they previously received which came from the visored and the fell to the ground, again, bleeding from their injuries however, they could still move

"Damn it." Nanana muttered before releasing his vollstandig and fired a massive arrow at Kenpachi. However, Shinji's sakanade was still in effect and thus missed its mark

Robert wanted to release his vollstandig as well but knew that it would be pointless. For as long as Shinji's shikai remains in effect, it would be impossible to target their enemies. This left them both at the dilemma of either trying to retreat and failing or staying and get killed

Salvation did come however as a torrent of flame appeared out of nowhere and it hit Shinji. While it did not do much, it was enough for Shinji to dispel his shikai as he looked around to where it came from. Zaraki too was confused about what happened and saw a guy with a mohawk hair standing above them, who promptly retreated once he was noticed. Taking advantage of the distraction, Nanana and Robert immediately fled the scene, leaving the soul reapers alone in the area

"So they're running again. Isn't there any quincy here wanting a good fight?" Zaraki whined before looking at the two unconscious girls. "Hey, are these two with you?" he asked Shinji

"Yeah they are." Shinji answered with a sigh. "So, what happened on your end Zaraki?"

"Well, that Kensei and Rose guy got turned to zombies and a fat guy came and trapped them in a barrier while I was trying to kill them. I also found another guy with a star shaped hair turned into a zombie and he was trapped in another barrier as well. That's about it I guess." Zaraki answered which caused Shinji to frown. "What about you?"

"I've been fighting those two for quite some time now. Momo and Tetsuzaemon tried to help but were quickly put down. I did have the advantage though despite being two on one but they wouldn't go down easy and then these two came and then you came." Shinji answered while walking to them. "So, if they are here, is Kisuke here as well?"

"Maybe. All I heard was that Orihime girl was here so maybe even Kisuke Urahara is." Zaraki answered

"I see. That's good to hear. Mind helping me carry them to where Kisuke is?" Shinji asked

Since he had nothing better to do, Zaraki decided to help him as the battles that were previously raging have also calmed down by now with most of the sternritters retreating once Zaraki showed up in their fights. So now, they have to regroup and plan their next move

Yhwach has been observing it from where he was staying and was rather disappointed at what he saw, although he really couldn't blame the sternritter retreating due to how strong Zaraki is

"Your majesty, it is ready." Askin said as he approached him

"The barriers are now open?" Haschwalth asked

"Yes. According to the daten, once someone from the royal palace comes down, the barriers remain open for one hour and forty minutes. I confirmed this when I activated the device. Now, the barriers will remain open for however long we need it to." Askin said

"I see. Lille?" Yhwach said

"Your majesty?" Lille responded

"Haschwalth, Uryu and myself will travel to the royal palace. I will leave you and the schutzstaffel to finish off the soul society. Keep the barriers open and come up when you're done." Yhwach ordered

"Yes, your majesty." the schutzstaffel responded simultaneously and they all left the building they were on and headed towards their enemies

Before Yhwach and the other two left for the palace, the quincy emperor decided to perform the auswahlen again, robbing the remaining sternritters, except the schutzstaffel, of most of their powers. This also caused a bright pillar of light appeared, revealing the location of the sternritters who were forced to retreat by Zaraki. After doing so, he, Haschwalth and Uryu all left for the royal palace

The schutzstaffel also noticed the auswahlen and thought that the victims would turn against them so they decided to hunt them down first

The auswahlen did not go unnoticed by the soul reapers and they were planning their next move as most of them were already at Kisuke's location, which was at the former squad twelve barracks. With Mayuri's reluctant help, they were able to create a makeshift headquarters. Jushiro, Isane and Orihime were all tending to the wounds of Toshiro, Soi Fon, Rangiku and all the other injured people. While none of them were dead, they were still in dire need of medical attention as they were still injured and unconscious. It was also at this moment that Soi Fon managed to regain consciousness

"What is that light?" Rukia asked as she and the others observed the light

"The auswahlen." Isshin answered

"What is that?" Byakuya asked

"It is some sort of a ritual that only Yhwach can conduct. Any quincy struck by that beam of light, loses most if not all of their powers." Isshin answered with a frown

It didn't take long for Shinji and the others to arrive at the location, carrying the bodies of the zombified visored, interrupting the little discussion

"Orihime. Can you see if you can do anything to help them?" Shinji asked politely

"Sure Shinji." Orihime responded and move over to the zombified visored

"So Yhwach has taken most of the powers of the sternritters then?" Renji asked as he observed Orihime doing her thing

"It appears so. The only question is, why now of all time? This war is still far from over and taking the powers of his own soldiers would only hamper his war effort." Isshin wondered

To everyone's surprise though, a voice out of nowhere came and it definitely belonged to someone they didn't want to see

"Because Yhwach is already heading for the soul king's palace and he left his elite guard to finish off the soul society." and that voice belonged to none other than Aizen

Meanwhile, the sternritters were all in shock at what just happened. Sure they were forced to retreat but that couldn't be helped. None of them were a match for Kenpachi Zaraki yet Yhwach chose to steal their powers

"So, I guess we are just expendable then?" Bazz B muttered, seething with hate

"It appears so." Liltotto said as she too was furious at this turn of events

"Regardless of that, what will we do now?" Robert asked his comrades

Before anyone could respond, they all felt a very familiar presence coming to their location. It belonged to one of the schutzstaffel, its leader, Lille Barro

With the soul reapers

They were all in shock that Aizen chose to make his appearance now of all times

"What the hell are you doing here Aizen?!" Rukia demanded to know

"Hello to you too Rukia. It is good to see your efforts in our war were finally recognized. Congratulations." Aizen said casually

"Answer the damn question Aizen!" Renji yelled out

"I see. Then here is a question for you, would you rather fight both me and the wandenreich at the same time?" Aizen asked with a narrowed eyes, effectively shutting them all up

"But that's not why you're here is it?" Kyoraku spoke which grabbed everyone's attention. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have bothered to make yourself known and would have just killed us all."

"Very presumptive, captain Kyoraku, however, you are not mistaken." Aizen admitted

"So now we have to ally ourself with that guy?" Renji demanded to know as Lisa and Hiyori regained consciousness due to the yelling that was going on

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself Renji Abarai. I have no intention of helping the soul society. My only goal here is to kill anyone who might try to exert control over me, which the methods of doing so, coincides with your own goals." Aizen pointed out and he received death glares from nearly everyone, especially from Hiyori

"You can't be okay with this Kyoraku?" Soi Fon asked

"I'm not. However, the harsh truth is we will need Aizen's help." Kyoraku said and the glares were now pointed at him

"And what about after we stop the quincies?" Shinji asked in anger

"Then it will come down to whatever agreement we have after the war." Aizen answered for Kyoraku. "That is unless you're arrogant enough to believe you can defeat someone like Yhwach on your own."

This did make everyone shut up once more. Kisuke and the former captains were not particularly surprised at this as they already expected to have an uneasy alliance with Aizen before they left. Still, it did not make them feel any better about the current situation

"I guess that settles it then." Kyoraku spoke after the silence. "We ally ourselves with Aizen for now."

"Are you sure about this Shunsui?" Jushiro asked

"I am. You can feel it can't you? There are now four powerful spiritual pressures that appeared in the seireitei and it belonged to the quincies. These four are even stronger than the sternritters we have faced. If anything, I am sure that these guys are to keep us occupied while Yhwach invades the royal palace." Kyoraku answered

"What? Then we'll have to get rid of these guys as soon as we can." Renji yelled out

"Oh hohoo how I would love to see that wench Senjumaru get beaten and turn her into a guinea pig." Mayuri spoke for the first time since Aizen appeared, not at all caring about the current situations

"Do not worry about them too much Renji. We should focus about our own problems first before we can do anything to help them." Byakuya said

"He is right. We might also be able to get the help of the sternritters who have had their powers stolen." Kukaku Shiba said as she entered the makeshift command center along with Ganju and two others, Tsukishima and Ginjo

"Kukaku." Yoruichi said in relief

"Ginjo, thank you for coming to our aid." Jushiro said but got a death glare from the fullbringers

"Can it Jushiro. Our little skirmish is still not over." Ginjo said venomously, which did not go unnoticed

"So, what now?" Soi Fon asked no one in particular

"Now we split up. All of us who are still capable of fighting should go to each of the locations of the sternritters and take them out. The rest of you stay here and protect the headquarters." Kyoraku ordered before looking at Aizen. "I suppose it wouldn't be of too much trouble if you go on your own?"

"It is not. I already expected to fight one of them on my own." Aizen responded

"That's good." Kyoraku answered

"Before you go, touch these." Kisuke said as he handed a bunch of black pills to everyone

"What are these Kisuke?" Rukia asked

"I call it the shin'eiyaku. It is to recover the stolen bankais and at the same time, prevent further theft. Basically, the working theory is that a hollow's spirit energy is poison to a quincy and that is the reason they must destroy hollows utterly. This pill partly hollowfies the bankai and turns it into a poison for the quincies." Kisuke explained

"And that will work?" Soi Fon asked

"I'm not really sure. This was all the information I could gather. So this would be a test run." Kisuke answered. "So, anyone wanna try it?"

Soi Fon and Byakuya looked at each other for a moment and each touched one of the pills. Soon, the bankais from the medallions with them were expelled and it returned to its rightful owners

"It worked." Renji said happily before everyone in the room with a bankai touched a pill. Not taking the chance, Aizen also touched one of these himself

"That's good. Now we can fight without holding back. Let's go." Kyoraku ordered and they all left. In the meantime, Kisuke decided to find out whatever he can about the medallion while everyone else tried to create a method for them to get to the royal palace

Aizen headed to one of the schutzstaffel's location alone. Zaraki, Byakuya and Renji headed to another. Rukia went with Kyoraku and Shinji to the third. Both Ginjo and Tsukishima headed to the last one. In the makeshift headquarters, Soi Fon and the others were still injured and had to sit this one out. Kisuke, Yoruichi, Isshin and the others all decided to stay and protect their headquarters

* * *

**Here is the next one. Again, I'm sure I missed a few characters so I might have to edit this soon. And yup, I just teased Yoruichi's zanpakuto there but nope, not gonna reveal it in this arc. Also, I might need some help. If anyone knows how or where to translate words into japanese please mention it otherwise translations are gonna suck due to google translate**


	43. Chapter 42

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Forty Two - Desperate Battles**

**-Las Noches-**

During the early stages of the invasion, Ichigo was at the roof of Harribel's palace while the others were inside, preparing to go to the soul society's aid. While they knew Ichigo was gonna be pissed off about it, his greater desire to get rid of the wandenreich overshadowed his willingness to let the soul society get wiped out. It was also much of a surprise that when the arrancars wanted to help fight of the other sternritters, Ichigo did not object nor did he appear angry or agitated in any way. It did unnerve them a bit that Ichigo just decided to head out for one reason or another. However, what really surprised them the most is that Ichigo did not tell them what to do and instead only agreed to what they wanted to do. It went to show them that Ichigo had no desire to control their actions

While the others were inside the palace, Ichigo was still observing the battles, at least the ones he found to be interesting. After a while, he decided to just let Kisuke go to the soul society

"**So why did you let them go again?"**

**'**No particular reason. I just want them to be there when I reveal the soul society's treachery. Nothing more I guess.'

_"Do you regret abandoning your former friends?"_

'Not really. The key word there being 'former'. I'm gonna be honest. While I was rather pissed off that were gonna kill me, I got over it long ago. I guess my real concern is if they target my sisters to use as leverage against me. Considering how we in the world of the living are nothing but loose ends to them, I don't think it would be unreasonable to assume such a situation.'

_"No, it is not. I am glad you managed to figure that out on your own Ichigo."_

"**I guess that means you're gonna finish off the soul society yourself if the wandenreich fails to do so then?"**

**'**No, I won't.'

"**Why's that?"**

'They'll make the perfect decoys for what is to come after Yhwach's death.'

"**I like you're way of thinking Ichigo. Seems like we no longer have to hold your hand now."**

_"Indeed. However, do not get too far ahead of yourself Ichigo. We will still help you if you need it."_

'I know. Thanks for that.' Ichigo responded and soon noticed that Yhwach has used the auswahlen again, robbing most of the sternritters of their powers. 'Why the hell would Yhwach do that? In the middle of a war no less?'

_"Because he wants to move on."_

'What? Move on to where?'

_"Yhwach is planning to go to the royal palace now and take out the royal guard."_

'But that would just leave his flank open to the soul reapers right?'

"**It would, but take a closer look. Four of the strongest sternritters are moving out. I'm guessing that he's only gonna take his second in command to the royal palace and leave his elite guard to finish off the soul society."**

Curious about this, Ichigo decided to take a closer look and his inner hollow was right. Four quincies were now moving to various areas of the seireitei. 'You're right. It seems that Yhwach is also planning to take Uryu to the royal palace as well. And it seems AIzen has finally revealed himself.' he commented as he observed the seireitei. 'I wonder, why are those four going in separate directions?'

"**DIvide and conquer."**

'I see. Well, time to get this show on the road.' Ichigo said as he got up and jumped down to the balcony

Meanwhile, the quincies and arrancars were having a little discussion of their own while Ichigo went out

"Is Ichigo really okay with us helping the soul society? They are his enemies right?" Lilynette asked with concern

"I'm curious about that myself. Do you think he wants to help them because they were once his allies?" Starrk also asked

"I doubt that." Nel said which grabbed everyone's attention

"What do you mean by that Nelliel?" Harribel asked

"Well, if you consider the change in Ichigo's personality since finding out the truth, I don't think that he particularly cares if the soul society lives or dies. If he does want them to live, I highly doubt it would be for any reconcilliation. It must be for some other reason." Nelliel reasoned

"That is true. It might also be possible that Ichigo wants to deal with them himself." Ulquiorra said

"That's a good point though. At least despite everything, Ichigo chooses not to decide our actions for us." Nel said with sigh

"Come to think of it, that's true. In fact, the only decision Ichigo made for someone else was when he told us to take refuge here." Bambietta said thoughtfully

"And it was even for our own good now that I think about it." Candice agreed

"Well, if that's true, it makes me wonder how neither of you two are his girlfriend." Starrk teased which caused Candice to grin

"Hey don't look at me. I only met him like yesterday. You should ask Bambi that." Candice said in her defense

"Not interested. I'm not really looking for any serious relationship." Bambietta countered with a raised eyebrow which caused everyone to laugh, even Harribel released a slight chuckle although Ulquiorra just observed them with a blank face

"At any rate, are all of us gonna go there? I think someone should stay here." Nel asked

"Indeed. You three." Harribel said to her fraccion. "You stay here and guard las noches alright."

"Yes, master Harribel." the tres bestias said in unison

"In that case, you two stay here as well." Nel said to her own fraccion

"Yes, master Nel." they said with a goofy salute

"What about me?" Rudbornn asked

"You stay here as well and make sure to create a large army of exequias in case anything happens." Ulquiorra ordered. "Only the four of us will go along with the quincies."

"Very well, master Ulquiorra." Rudbornn said respectfully

It was at this moment, that Ichigo dropped down from the roof onto the balcony and walked inside, grabbing everyone's attention

"Ichigo?" Nel asked

"I'm going. Yhwach has already left with Uryu and Haschwalth to the royal palace and has left his elite guard to finish of the soul society." Ichigo said calmly

"I see. So I take it you're going after Yhwach directly?" Ulquiorra asked

"Yes. I'm going to the palace and see what happens. Athough I probably will wait until the battle against the royal guard finishes. I wanna see if there are some hidden history between them or something." Ichigo answered before frowning, which aroused everyone's curiousity. "There is also something else, a few days ago I released Aizen from his prison and now he has taken the side of the soul reapers."

"So he's an enemy then?" Harribel asked, while inside she was fuming, she was more curious as to why Ichigo did that

"No. In fact, Aizen is gonna be a very powerful ally. I don't know any of the details yet, but what I do know is that there is more to Aizen than what we know. I'm not sure about this yet so I won't go into detail. I found some information that points out to Aizen's background. While still unconfirmed, the information I found says that Aizen has been betrayed by the soul society nearly two hundred years ago." Ichigo replied which widened everyone's eyes

"Betrayed by the soul society?" Nel asked curiously

"Yes. If that is true, then it makes total sense as to why Aizen betrayed them. In fact, I don't even think it can be considered as betrayal since he was never aligned with them to begin with." Ichigo said

This made everyone adopt a thoughtful expression. While the tres bestias were furious at what Ichigo did, they could not help but wonder if it was really true. Perhaps Ichigo was right all along, and that they must let go of the past to create an even better future. It was something to be considered and it was a very risky move. No other person thought more about this than Harribel. She was now genuinely considering to heed what Ichigo said the first time he came here, which was to learn how to accept the past and just move forward. The quincy girls also thought about this themselves. They both hated the soul reapers yet they were always so good at hiding it that not a single person outside of their little group knew about it. This was shown when Bambietta did not bother to toy around with her opponent captain and just went for the kill. While they had their reasons for it, they too wondered if they should let go. However, in Ulquiorra's mind, the bigger question was if Ichigo was willing to let go of his hate as it was painfully obvious that he is not planning to let anyone get in his way of revenge but he did not bother to point it out as the object of Ichigo's hate was also someone who threatens to kill them

"I'm going. If you're going to the soul society, then be ready for immediate battle. The quincies' elite guard has already engaged in battle against the soul reapers and Aizen." Ichigo said while the others were busy thinking, almost forgetting something. "Oh and by the way, Yhwach has used the auswahlen again and the victims were the ones not part of his elite guard. They are on the run now as one of them appeared to be hunting the others until he was attacked by the soul reapers." he said which made Bambietta and Candice frown

"Alright then Ichigo. See you there." Starrk said as Ichigo went back into the balcony and left via a garganta

"Before we go, let's all agree that none of us mention Ichigo's name around the soul reapers." Harribel said and got a nod of agreements from everyone

"Agreed. I'll come up with some excuse about that." Bambietta said

"Or you could just say that you can't talk about it." Candice pointed out

"That's a good point." Bambietta said before realizing something. "Hey Harribel." she called out and got her attention. "Are you really okay with what Ichigo did?"

Harribel merely took a deep breath before closing her eyes. "No, I'm not. However, I do not have a choice in the matter."

"Master Harribel..." Sung Sun muttered out

"She is right. If Yhwach managed to force the soul society on their heels, then it is obvious we would need as much help as we could get. As much as I hate to admit it, we may have to ally with our former enemies." Starrk pointed out

"Agreed. We can't afford to wager our survival all because we're being stubborn." Nelliel said before she noticed something. "What do you think Ulquiorra?"

"I agree with what everyone said. I'm actually curious as to who Aizen really is." Ulquiorra said thoughtfully

"Alright. Let's go." Starrk said and opened up a garganta

-**Karakura Town-**

Instead of heading to the royal palace, Ichigo decided to head back to the world of the living first. He had his body walk to an empty alley and entered it there before going back home

"I'm back." Ichigo said as he entered the house

"That was quick. Where did you go to Ichigo?" Karin asked

"Just a little something. Anyway, Yuzu come here." Ichigo said

Yuzu popped out of the kitchen and did what her brother asked. "What is it Ichigo?"

"Have you guys noticed dad's been gone for a few days now?" Ichigo asked

"Yes I did. Where is he?" Yuzu asked in a worried tone

"He's in the soul society." Ichigo answered

"What is he doing there?" Karin asked

"There is a war going on there and dad has gone to fight it. I won't go to any of the details but I do know that he's safe." Ichigo answered which did ease the worries of his sisters a bit but not by much. "Anyway, I'm going and I'm gonna end the war once and for all."

"How? Didn't you lose your powers?" Karin pointed out

"Not really." Ichigo said and left his body, causing it to fall to the ground, much to the shock of his sisters. Even Yuzu was able to see it due to Ichigo silently giving her a bit of spirit energy over the last few months. Not much but just enough for her to see soul reapers. "I'll tell you about this later and why I hid it. I'll also drag dad back here once the war is done." he said before looking upstairs. "Hey Kon, get down here."

"Who are you talking to Ichigo? There's no one up there?" Karin asked when she finally got over her shock

However, no one came down and this did annoy Ichigo a lot. "Hey Kon! Get down here or I'll rip your stuffing out." he yelled once more

Finally, the door to Ichigo's room opened and down came a lion plushie. It was near identical to Kon's old plushie with slight differences

"What is that Ichigo?" Yuzu asked, terrified of a walking stuffed animal

"Hey don't be like that now. Just call me Kon." he said in a happy tone but his jaw dropped once he saw that Ichigo was a soul reaper again

"Enough." Ichigo said which surprised them all. "Kon, I need you to take over my body for a while." he said while grabbing the plushie and shoving a couple fingers in its mouth

"What is that Ichigo?" Karin asked

After a few seconds, Ichigo finally got the pill out of the stuffed animal. "It's something that's called an artificial soul. I'm not really sure how they came up with it but it can be used to take over someone's body. To remove it, you use a special device but I don't have it right now." he said as he put his body on the side opposite to where his sister was and dropped the pill right into it

"What is this Ichigo? How do you still have your powers?" Kon asked in shock

"I'll explain later Kon. I just need you to do me a favor. I need you to protect my sisters while I'm gone." Ichigo said in what was probably the most serious voice Kon has heard

Seeing how serious Ichigo was, Kon understood fully and did not make any goofy remarks about it. "Sure Ichigo. You can count on me."

"Alright thanks." Ichigo said while looking at his sisters, who were looking back with surprised faces

"Is that a thing? What is that?" Karin asked curiously while Yuzu appeared puzzled

"Just a friend I met during my time as a soul reaper. You can trust him although he is rather goofy." Ichigo admitted before going to the door. "I'll be going now. Take care." he said and he left

-**Soul Society-**

The battle against the quincy elite guard has just been joined. Ginjo and Tsukishima went near one of the gates and found one of the schutzstaffel just casually scaring away the soul reapers. He wasn't even killing them as he was just trolling them by casually throwing some of his gift ball techniques at them. To make the humiliation of the soul reapers worse, Askin wasn't even aiming directly at them. A few did get hit but that was because they were being stupid and thinking this was just another random sternritter, or a random quincy for that matter

"Hey you there." Ginjo called out when he arrived at Askin's location

"Huh?" Askin muttered and turned around

"Who are you anyway, quincy?" Ginjo asked

"Well, my name is Askin Nakk le Vaar. One of his majesty's elite guards and member of the schutzstaffel." he introduced himself. "Your turn."

"Kugo Ginjo."

"Shukuro Tsukishima."

"Kugo Ginjo? Aren't you that substitute soul reaper that was betrayed by the soul society?" Askin asked in a confused voice

"Yeah, I am." Ginjo answered

"Funny. Why would you be fighting for the soul reapers if they betrayed you?" Askin asked, growing more curious

"Honestly, I'm wondering about that myself." Ginjo said as he charged right at Askin

Tsukishima followed suit and engaged the sternritter at close quarters combat two on one. Askin was initially forced to be on the retreat due to being outnumbered. After a while of dodging, Askin finally drew out his weapon which was a bow attached to his wrist. He immediately fired an arrow to disrupt the rhythm of the two fullbringers, which worked to a certain extent as it forced them to separate. Once they managed to regain themselves, Askin fired five arrows at the same time, one from his index finger and the other four from the areas above and below his wrist on his bow. This shocked the fullbringers and they got hit by at least one arrow. Askin took this chance and moved to engage them in close quarter combat, while using his other index finger to hit Tsukishima at point blank range, forcing him back. Askin was just improvising and used his bow as some sort of quarterstaff

In another part of the seireitei, the sternritters who had their powers stolen split up since they regrouped right before it happened. The reason they split up was because they felt Lille coming towards them, probably to hunt them down first before finishing off the soul society. Nanana and Robert teamed up again and headed to one direction, while Cang Du, who had just barely recovered, went with Bazz B to another. The girls headed to another. The decision to split up was ultimately agreed upon as they felt that the soul reapers are moving to engage the schutzstaffel. They were planning on using them as bait to divert their attention so they can regroup later and help the soul reapers, in the hopes that they can put aside their differences to defeat a common enemy

While the boys were able to get away safely, the girls were not so fortunate as Lille chose to hunt them first. As they were moving, they were all suddenly hit by something they did not see coming and fell down. Their attacker made himself known as Lille arrived right behind them, rifle at the ready. Just as Lille was about to execute them, he felt a presence appear behind him. His instincts told him it was an attacked and he reflexively used his rifle to block it. That decision was right as the moment Lille turned around, Kyoraku arrived with a slash aimed right at his back. It wasn't enough though as Shinji arrived soon after and this time, he was able to land a hit on the sternritter although it wasn't fatal. Lille immediately pushed Kyoraku away and kicked Shinji a good distance away. This left him open to attack as Rukia immediately froze him in place

The quincy girls immediately used this chance to get away. Since they knew that with two captains and a lieutenant fighting Lille, he's gonna get occupied for a while

The ice that froze Lille however, did not last long. Lille almost instantly broke free from the ice and fired a couple rounds at Rukia. She immediately used tsukishiro to create an ice pillar to block it. However, to her dismay, the attack phased right through the pillar and hit her, causing her to bleed and fall on the ground. Lille knew she had just been incapacitated but that won't last long and immediately tried to fire at Kyoraku however, he was missing. Lille looked up and found his target coming right down on him, blades at the ready. He immediately took a random shot. Since it was only a random shot, Kyoraku was able to successfully dodge it. This left Lille open to attack from Shinji, who promptly stabbed him in the back

At that same time, Gerard was killed a few of the soul reapers who survived the initial assault and were disoriented and were planning to regroup somewhere else. He came out of nowhere and just cut down soul reapers with his sword. The soul reapers were shocked at the massive spiritual pressure their attacker possessed. It rivaled Kenpachi Zaraki's, maybe even surpassed him. At any rate, it became clear as Gerard wasn't using his powers just yet

Just before Gerard could inflict a significant number of casualties, his blade was suddenly blocked by a bunch of flower petals, giving his prey time to get the hell out of the crossfire. Gerard turned around to see who his attacker was and saw Byakuya and Renji coming towards him. Before he could engage the two, Zaraki came running towards him the two immediately locked blades

"Hey, I hope you're not gonna chicken out like the others." Zaraki said with a grin

"Hahahaha I am not like the others. I am the mightiest of the quincy chosen by his majesty himself." Gerard countered with his own

"Great. Then let's have some fun." Zaraki yelled and ripped off his eyepatch, causing his spiritual pressure to skyrocket

"Now that's what I want to hear. I hope you would be a worthy opponent." Gerard said as he pushed Zaraki away

The two then immediately went back to trying to fight each other. Clashing blades time and time again, causing minor shockwaves with each strike

"Uhh, should we do anything captain?" Renji asked with a sweatdrop as he observed the discussion of Zaraki and Gerard

"Let's just observe their battle for now. Let's assist him when he can." Byakuya said as he was annoyed by Zaraki's behavior

"It's like those two were destined to cross paths like some kind of tv show." Renji commented while observing the two

At that same time, one of the schutzstaffel members was just standing, not doing anything at all. He wasn't even engaging anyone around him. The area around him was completely empty, as if it was a ghost town. The reason for that being this was where the dead soul reapers in this specific area were the ones turned into zombies. The quincy was wearing a hood and cloak, effectively hiding who he was from anyone around. He soon felt someone approach him and turned around

"Interesting how you are not doing anything." the newcomer said, who was none other than Aizen

The hooded quincy did nothing and just looked at Aizen. After a few minutes of tense silence, the quincy chooses to dissolve its hood and reveal its true form, which looked like a giant hand with chains on the fingertips

"I see. So you are one of the hands of the soul king then, the left hand to be precise." Aizen said in realization

"Left arm... Name... Wrong." the quincy stated which caused Aizen to raise one of his eyebrows. "Per... Nida... Pernida..."

"Parnkjas." Aizen finished, as he was well aware of who this particular being was. "I never would have thought that the left hand of the soul king would ever work for beings such as the quincies."

"Quincies... Do not... Insult." Pernida muttered before shooting black tendrils towards Aizen

Aizen however, was not at all intimidated by this display. Despite not being in the daireishokairo archives, he was able to find a way to know nearly everything that concerns the soul king. After all, that was the whole point of his journey, to get rid of the king. However, he did want to see what the power of the soul king's left hand was and allowed one of his arms to get hit by it. He saw that the affected arm was slowly destroying itself so he quickly cut it off with his sword. Unfazed, Aizen simply used his regeneration to heal it back. While he no longer possessed most of the powers he had when he fought Ichigo, he still had his incredible regenerative ability, the very same that allowed him to recover from Ichigo's final getsuga tensho

While Aizen and the others were busy fighting the schutzstaffel, a garganta opened up at sokyoku hill. The espadas and the quincy stepped out while hiding their spiritual pressures. The moment the exit opened, they immediately felt the battles rage around them

"So this is the soul society." Nel said in awe

"It's not." Candice said which confused everyone so she decided to explain. "The wandenreich has been within this very same space around those walls over there..." she said while pointing at it. "but within it's shadows. This is the castle of the wandenreich, silbern."

"If this is silbern then where is the soul society?" Starrk asked

"It's here. Right now, we are within the soul society. The area occupied by the soul reapers is called the seireitei. When this invasion was launched, we had silbern overtake the seireitei. So basically, the seireitei is no more at this point." Bambietta explained

"Then that means that your soldiers came from all directions then?" Harribel pointed out

"Yes, however, most of the manpower was redirected towards the effort to conquer las noches so on a wild guess, only half or two thirds remained for the invasion although this time all the other sternritters joined in." Candice explained

"I see. So I guess that means the wandenreich have the advantage then?" Nel asked

"I don't think that is the case. I can feel Kisuke Urahara's spiritual pressure here. I guess Ichigo decided to let him come here for whatever reason." Ulquiorra said

"You're right." Bambietta said as she concentrated

"So, now what?" Lilynette asked

"You are gonna go into pistol form. This war is now more dangerous than ever and it's too risky for you." Starrk said sternly

"Aw come on." Lilynette whined as Starrk put a hand on her head and released his resurreccion

"Alright, there are about four battles raging so we need to split up. I will go help Aizen." Ulquiorra said, earning no objections as being as emotionless as he was, he would be the one best suited to meet the one who betrayed them

"That's fine. The three of us will just go to other battles and help out." Starrk agreed before looking at the quincies. "What about you two?"

"Some of our friends are still alive. We'll go check on them first and engage whoever is closest." Bambietta said

"Alright. Let's go." Ulquiorra said and they all went their separate ways, going to engage the schutzstaffel

Meanwhile, Lille had already released his vollstandig. The powers of both Shinji and Kyoraku's zanpakuto really put him at a grave disadvantage. With sakanade in effect, none of his shots, even the ones aimed directly at his targets were hitting due to how his sense of direction was reversed. It didn't help that Rukia was also causing major problems by constantly targetting his gun, forcing him to break the ice off if it got hit. With his vollstandig released however, it was a different story as now, none of their zanpakuto are able to touch him. He immediately chose to get rid of Rukia first as her powers were the only ones that can actually cause damage. Rukia was now laying on the ground, bleeding in a pool of blood due to Lille's attacks

Kyoraku and Shinji were faring better but not by much. The fact that Lille can now fire more than one of his spiritual bullets caused major problems, although Shinji's zanpakuto did help their situation a bit. The battle however, appeared to be a stalemate due to the fact that Lille was having a hard time targetting his opponents while neither of the two captains can do anything. Not even kido can touch the sternritter. Deciding to end the stalemate, Lille teleported to a good distance away before opening a few portals and causing huge explosions to occur elsewhere within a radius of where they fought

The resulting explosions destroyed the city, killing anyone who was within them. At this point, Shinji was already heavily injured and the effects of his shikai was dispelled. It didn't take long before Lille targetted him, taking him out of the fight as well. Now it was just Kyoraku and Lille. Just as Kyoraku noticed Shinji taken out, he suddenly found himself unable to move, before he too was shot with multiple rounds

"Unacceptable. Absolutely unacceptable. Lowly sinners like yourselves, should not have been able to force the hand of a messenger of god like this!" Lille yelled as it fired bullets in all directions

Shinji and Rukia got hit even more and were now even more severely injured while Kyoraku barely managed to dodge most of them

"Hey, hey take it easy will you?" Kyoraku said casually while firing a bushogama right at his opponent

"Silence!" Lille demanded and shot more rounds to which Kyoraku dodged by heading inside a building

When Kyoraku reached the other exit, Lille was already there, waiting for him

"When will you learn?" Lille said before blowing off most of the structure, which Kyoraku dodged once more albeit barely. "You can't escape."

This however, was just a ploy by Kyoraku. He knows the difference between him and his opponent and if he was to stand a chance against him, he would have to use it. While he was reluctant to do so due to his allies being there, it was either that or he dies. He hoped that at the very least, Jushiro would do something to protect the others otherwise they too would feel its effects. While he was in his train of thought, he was suddenly hit by a couple of Lille's rounds, knocking him off course while running. Lille fired more bullets and this time Kyoraku flashed away

"I am impressed. It is not everyday you see someone with that many injuries move that fast or get so far away." Lille commented as he continued his chase. He managed to hit Kyoraku one more time as the captain was retreating, causing him to do one more flash step in desperation

Lille just let him go as he knew exactly where his opponent was anyway. Kyoraku on the other hand, was now feeling the effects of his injuries and had his back against the wall, sitting down. This was not just an ordinary wall however, as it was the wall surrounding the seireitei. At this point, he was a good distance away from just about everyone as most of the soul reapers in this area have been killed already

"This should be far enough. I hope you'll all forgive me for this." Kyoraku said before plunging both of his swords into the ground. Soon, black root like tendrils came out, spreading from both of Kyoraku's swords. "Bankai. Katen Kyokotsu Karamatsu Shinju."

The effects were instantaneous. Nearly everyone in the seireitei felt its effects as the area felt kinda gloomy. Even the arrancars stopped for a bit to observe for a bit

'So, you have decided to use it Shunsui.' Jushiro thought at their headquarters

Lille was just casually walking, or rather, floating towards his prey when the bankai's effects took place. He decided to observe it for a few moments before he felt Kyoraku approach him

"So, you finally reveal yourself." Lille said as he looked at Kyoraku

"Sorry about that." Kyoraku responded. "By the way, mind giving me some feedback? How does the surroundings look to you as of this moment?"

"It is lonely, dark. Perhaps even bleak." Lille said before he realized something. "I see. So this is the power of your bankai. Indeed, the surroundings are darker than it was before."

"Yes. This is my bankai. Katen Kyokotsu Karamatsu Shinju." Kyoraku responded

"I will admit, it is darker however, I take back what I said about it being bleak." Lille said as he rose higher. "Because, a messenger of god feels no despair." he declared before destroying a large portion of the area

To Lille's utter shock however, the wounds that were on Kyoraku's body now appeared on his own as well. "What is all this?" Lille asked in a panic

"That, is the power of my bankai." Kyoraku responded which brought the sternritter out of his panic. "Don't worry. You cannot die from those wounds. This is just the prologue. Any wound inflicted will also be reflected back to the original user." he said which made Lille panic about the wounds despite just being told he cannot die from it. "Now then, Nidanme: Zanki no Shitone." Kyoraku said, causing black spots to appear all over Lille's body which then bled profusely. He then began to tell the sternritter a story about two men with one betraying the other. "Sandanme: Dangyo no Fuchi." he muttered, which immediately plunged both of them into an abyss of water while he still continued the story about how both men threw themselves into gushing waters. "It's just you and me now. Until one of us loses all our spirit energy."

This made Lille panic even more and he tried to flap his wings in desperation to reach the surface but it was futile. 'No matter how hard I flap my wings, the surface just keeps getting further and further.' he thought in a panic

"Let's end this, Shime no Dan: Itokiribasami Chizome no Nodobue." Kyoraku said before he used a white thread to literally blow off his target's head. He soon fell into the ground, reeling from the severe amount of injuries he received. He thought he could finally relax as the quincy was dead

Starrk however, arrived at when Kyoraku had been running away. When he saw the bankai of the captain he once fought, he was impressed to say the least so he chose not to interfere when Kyoraku finally released it. When he saw the captain trying to relax, he knew that Kyoraku made a big mistake. Lille had not been killed and he was only severely weakened. It didn't take long before Kyoraku was shot right through his body, inflicting even more wounds. Lille then revealed himself but this time he looked like some sort of flamingo, cursing Kyoraku for what he had done. Just when Lille was about to kill a helpless Kyoraku, he was suddenly hit by a very powerful cero

Kyoraku recognized this cero as belonging to the espada he once fought. He was quite relieved that some help actually arrived. He was however, shocked as more flamingos appeared and was now desperately trying to kill the arrancar and the soul reaper present. In his severely weakened state however, Lille was no match for Starrk at this point and all the flamingos were cut down by Starrk's energy sword before he blasted the last few ones with a machine gun cero

"Hey there captain. Seems you really got yourself into some trouble there." Starrk greeted casually

"So you have come espada. Thank you." Kyoraku greeted back as Starrk helped him up

In the meantime, Bambietta and Candice were sneaking through where Kyoraku and his group first engaged Lille. The two of them soon found the three other girls in their group, taking shelter in a partially destroyed building

"Meni, Lili, Gigi." Bambietta said which grabbed their attention

"Bambi? Candi?" Liltotto asked in shock

"You two are alive!" Giselle cheered

"Haschwalth said you two have been killed." Meninas said in relief

"I know. I'll explain later. Right now, we have to stop Yhwach." Bambietta said as she approached the others

"How? He stole most of our powers." Giselle pointed out

"Just be patient. Let's get rid of the schutzstaffel first. You guys go rest somewhere safe alright. Bazz B and the others are safe. With the schutzstaffel busy, they were able to regroup just a few blocks to the east. Go and we'll meet you there." Bambietta instructed

"Alright Bambi. Take care." Liltotto said and she, Gisell and Meninas soon left towards the others

Bambietta and Candice moved out when the other three left. They felt Kyoraku's spiritual pressure rise and since he was the closest, they also went there. Starrk noticed them approach but did nothing as like the two, they chose to observe this battle. However, a few moments later, they saw Gerard grow to humongous size and they immediately headed that way

With Gerard however, the battle went horribly. Zaraki released his shikai not even half way through their battle, much to everyone's surprise. Byakuya and Renji however, did almost nothing due to the fact that either Zaraki or Gerard would throw them away for interfering. Eventually, Zaraki managed to cut up Gerard so bad that it caused him to grow to the size he is now and thus, the tables have turned. Zaraki still had more than enough brute strength to fend off Gerard. At this point, Byakuya and Renji became observers as Zaraki chose to take on this behemoth by himself, until Gerard grabbed him and slammed him into the ground, ripping off one of his arms in the process

The squad six members immediately went into action but Renji was taken out as he released his shikai but giant Gerard simply grabbed it, pulled Renji closer before stomping on him. Byakuya was nowhere better as senbonzakura only tickled him. Right before Zaraki was run through, a some sort of spear came flying, breaking off part of Gerard's blade

"What? Someone was actually able to break my sword?" Gerard said in confusion before simply restoring it. He then looked around and saw a female centaur looking at him although he did not recognize it

Byakuya took this moment of distraction to release his bankai. Since Gerard was giant sized now, he targetted Gerard's legs and caused him to lose his balance. Giant Gerard fell to the ground and everyone moved out of the way

"Nelliel right?" Byakuya asked as he regrouped with the newcome and Zaraki

"Yes, that's me." Nel confirmed it

Before they could discuss any further, Gerard almost instantly got up and prepared to attack however, a couple lightning bolts were fired right at his eyes, blinding him for a bit. Everyone looked to where it came from and saw a couple girls in civilian outfit

"Bambi? Candi?" Nel asked in confusion. "Are your friends okay?"

"They're fine for now." Bambietta said as she approached the three. "Seems like Gerard has gotten huge."

"Who cares about that?" Zaraki said as Gerard was getting up again. "The bigger they are the harder they fall." he yelled and charged at Gerard again despite one missing arm

"So, I take it you two are now on our side?" Byakuya asked suspiciously

"Yes. The wandenreich had us killed and it seems that Yhwach is planning to kill the soul king. We may be enemies but even we don't want to see everything destroyed." Candice responded as they all dodged one of the random walls thrown by Gerard

Byakuya wanted to object and just attack these newcomer quincies but he couldn't. The soul society is now more desperate than ever especially with a giant walking around. Soon enough, they managed to regroup while Zaraki kept the blinded schutzstaffel member busy

"Anybody got a plan here?" Nel asked as the battle was not going anywhere while firing some ceros

"I do." Bambietta said which grabbed everyone's attention. "Make him bleed. It doesn't matter how much as long as there is an opening where his blood comes out."

"Mind explaning that one? If you slice off a part of him, it just gets bigger and bigger." Byakuya argued

"I'm not planning on cutting him up like that. I wanna give Zaraki the chance for the final blow." Bambietta countered

Instead of arguing, Nel decided to flash away and grab her spear as Gerard had just recovered from his temporary blindness and was finally able to parry the blows Zaraki was throwing. The brute captain was taking too much attention that Gerard had no time to check who attacked him

Just as Nel grabbed her spear, Candice went vollstandig and used electrocution after electrocution but it just tickled Gerard. Having no choice on the matter, Byakuya decided to help as well by using his new technique, ikka senjika, causing his flower petals to turn into senkei before having all of it strike the same spot, causing some cut and wounding Gerard. Before he could heal it, Zaraki kicked him right in the face, sending him flat on his back. With a clear opening, Nel threw her spear to where Byakuya and Candice targetted it, eventually causing it to bleed. Wasting no time, Bambietta immediately flashed to the wound and threw something in it. Within seconds, Gerard suddenly yelled in agony while he grew a bit smaller

"Now! Go for the head!" Bambietta yelled out to which Zaraki immediately complied and cleaved Gerard in two. To the soul reaper's surprise, Gerard this time did not regenerate and just lay there, dead

"What the...?" Candice muttered out. "What did you do Bambi?" she asked as everyone regrouped and Nel dropped her resurreccion

"I injected a small amount of hollow spirit energy directly into his bloodstream." Bambietta said and got a curious look from Byakuya so she decided to continue. "A hollow's spirit energy is basically poison to use quincies. Regardless of the strength level, if a hollow's spirit energy is injected to us, we will slowly lose our powers and soon die unless we are treated. This is one of the main purpose of the blut vene, for us to block any foreign object from entering our body, thereby keeping us safe from hollow spirit energy."

"I see. So by injecting it directly into his bloodstream, it made the weakening process that much quicker." Byakuya said in realization

"Yes and also because that wasn't an ordinary hollow's spirit energy. It was Ulquiorra's." Bambietta added

"So that's what that little chat with Ulquiorra was about." Candice said as she realized what her friend had been up to a few hours ago in las noches

Byakuya wanted to know more about it but figured he can ask later as Zaraki lost an arm and Renji was in really bad shape

In the meantime, Aizen was in a stalemate against Pernida. Nearly everything around them was destroyed due to Pernida's nerve attacks. Aizen did manage to use his kido to blow off one of the fingers but it ended up creating more clones of him. Deciding on a new strategy, Pernida grew even more random weird appendages which were shaped like like itself but with only one pupil in the eye. This was one of the few times, if any, that Aizen was actually creeped out

Knowing that touching his opponent, even with his sword, was not gonna work, Aizen was forced to dodge even more nerve tendrils form the Pernida clones while at the same time, using danku to block a volley of arrows that they fired. The real Pernida however, used this as a distraction to heal itself while Aizen was busy dodging. However, the bottomline was Pernida couldn't evolve to the level of Aizen as the guy made sure not to let anything touch him so the sternritter was at a disadvantage and Aizen was aware of that as he knew that the soul king's left hand governed evolution

Having had enough of the stalemate, Aizen decided to turn the tables. Since Pernida's power was nerves, it was basically begging to be taken advantage of by his kyoka suigetsu. Aizen released his shikai silently and suddenly, all the Pernida clones changed direction and fired randomly. Even against someone like this, kyoka suigetsu's power was invaluable

Pernida, having gained nothing to evolve form, could only scream in pain as Aizen manipulated his nerves to make him feel like he was in pain, stressing his body out. This wasn't enough to put Pernida down as it was still having its clones fire random shots nerve tendrils at random directions. Aizen was growing annoyed by this until a familiar energy lance suddenly pierced Pernida. He recognized it as belonging to Ulquiorra and immediately used a hado eighty eight to wound Pernida

It still wasn't enough as Pernida decided to grow even more clones in a desperate attempt to hit his opponent, now joined by someone he was unable to tell who, what or where due to the influence of kyoka suigetsu

"I see you have decided to aid in this war, Ulquiorra." Aizen greeted as Ulquiorra revealed himself

"Yes. Yhwach threatens us all so we have little choice in the matter." Ulquiorra said back emotionlessly, which did not surprise Aizen. He was rather surprised though that Aizen gave no orders to him. While he had no intention of following any more orders from Aizen, he expected that Aizen was still gonna treat him as his subordinate

Their little reunion was interrupted when Pernida grew more appendages. This time shaped like a some sort of snake. It was painfully obvious that it was now desperate, seeing as how Aizen had successfully stopped it from evolving and Ulquiorra sneaking up on him. Deciding to end this quickly, Ulquiorra prepared a black cero, the cero oscuras aimed right at Pernida, who was still missing all of its attempts to attack, courtesy of Aizen. Preparing a combined move, Aizen used kurohitsugi right at the moment when the cero oscuras made contact, essentially trapping the explosion within the kurohitsugi. Once the kurohitsugi dissipated, Pernida stood there, severely injured with its nerves now exposed

To their surprise however, Pernida managed to release its nerves in an omni directional attack. It was all for naught however, as in its weakened state, Aizen merely raised his spiritual pressure and it was all forced back. Not wasting time of getting shocked, Ulquiorra fired a bunch of balas at the exposed nerves, causing it severe pain before Aizen decided to end it

"Hado number ninety nine, goryutenmetsu." Aizen said, causing five purple dragons to appear from the ground before all of them crashed down into Pernida

With its nerves exposed already causing it immense pain, Pernida finally fell to the goryutenmetsu. Just to make sure he was dead, Ulquiorra fired another cero oscuras. When the blast finally died down, Pernida was there, utterly destroyed, his opponents not even giving him a chance even the slightest bit

Ginjo and Tsukishima on the other hand, had the worst luck possible. Their opponent didn't even break a sweat and just incapacitated them when they tried to attack. Even with a bow as his weapon, Askin's ability to fire an arrow from his index finger really threw them off. When they managed to coordinate, it was too late. Askin had created what appeared to be a darkened area on the ground. This caused both fullbringers to fall to the ground, helpless, completely at their mercy

At the soul reaper hq

"Someone has to go help the fullbringers." Yoruichi said as she sensed the fullbringers' spiritual pressure drop

"I can't leave this place. I still need to finish creating a gateway to the royal palace." Kisuke objected

"Alright then. I'll go." Yoruichi said sternly

"I'll come with you. The rest of you stay here." Isshin said and soon, both of them left

Askin was just busy sitting down, observing his helpless opponents when suddenly, water came crashing down, forcing the fullbringers away from the affected area on the ground. He looked around and saw an arrancar up the top of a nearby ruined building

"Oh great. An arrancar." Askin commented but before he can do anything, someone flashed behind him and attempted to cut him down. He barely managed to dodge and saw that Isshin and Yoruichi had come

Harribel wasted no time and immediately engaged the sternritter alongside Isshin while Yoruichi came and delivered some punches or kicks when Askin left himself open. Eventually, Askin forced them back via firing an arrow from his index finger

"Three on one huh? Don't you guys think that's a little unfair?" Askin asked nonchalantly

"You took down two guys already and now you're complaining?" Yoruichi countered

"Well, that's a fair point. But on the other hand, those guys were horribly weak, but you..." Askin said but was cut off as Harribel tried to cut off his head. "Hey, gimme a break here!"

"You talk too much." Harribel said and this time, attempted to use her shark tooth sword to cut him in two

Askin dodged this again but Yoruichi flashed behind him and kicked him, sending him flying for a bit, right into a slash from Isshin. He dodged it again and immediately fired an arrow from his index finger right at Isshin, who was forced to block. Harribel came down from above with her blade at the ready. Askin barely dodged this but Yoruichi flashed to his side and threw him into Harribel's sword, wounding him

Now growing annoyed, Askin threw around some gift balls in whichever direction he wanted, forcing the three on the defensive before he switched tactics and summoned his bow, firing five arrows once more, scoring direct hits. Before they could recover, Askin threw another gift ball right at Isshin

Like before, black flames suddenly erupted from the ground, completely destroying the gift ball, much to everyone's shock with the exception of Harribel. Unlike before however, the flames didn't simply die down and it headed right towards Askin, who was hit by the flames and was scorched. He wasn't completely burned though

"Alright, I give up. I'm outta here." Askin said as he tried to leave

Harribel wouldn't have it however as she flashed in front of him and swung her sword. Caught off guard, Askin barely managed to dodge but was helpless as Yoruichi herself flashed towards him and kicked him right on the back of his knees, causing him to lose his balance to which Isshin quickly took advantage of and slashed him right on the neck and Askin fell to the ground. The soul reapers and the arrancar thought it was over so they decided to retreat after a while. What they didn't know however, is that Askin was only playing dead. He didn't really feel like fighting someone this complicated to defeat so he figured playing dead was the best move and it worked

**-The Royal Palace-**

Right before the fights of the schutzstaffel was joined, Yhwach, along with Uryu and Haschwalth arrived at the royal palace and Tenjiro immediately attacked before greeting them

* * *

**Talk about long. This is the longest chapter I have done yet. To be honest, it wasn't supposed to be this long however since only the battles against the schutzstaffel was gonna be covered however, I decided to add the part of the arrancars and Ichigo in the beginning. Don't get too comfy though as the next chapters probably won't be this long. The only reason it even managed to reach this long is because I didn't want to separate the schutzstaffel fights into multiple chapters. Speaking of the schutzstaffel, I basically hit them with probably the biggest nerf hammer yet. I'm gonna explain that as when I read the wiki about the schutzstaffel, they got a massive increase in power after Yhwach conducted the second auswahlen. However, since Yhwach did not give them any power boosts in this one, they're weaker than they are**

**For Lille, I decided to make it the longest since I really enjoyed that fight and Kyoraku's bankai was cool to watch but I hit him with the nerf hammer and removed that second vollstandig form. With Gerard, that was all made up. The idea on that fight was basically what would happen if poison was directly injected into someone's bloodstream. Well, the obvious answer is it would make the person really sick or outright kill said person. And I always hated giant sized things or whatever. It just makes you an easy target so that's also another reason I decided to hit Gerard real hard with the nerf hammer. On Pernida, when I read his powers, it seems that he must make contact or something like that in order to evolve and adapt. So basically, just deny him that and he stays the way he is. That's the basis on how I made Pernida like this. Oh, and he was rather annoying and creepy, looking like a freaking hand. ****Don't worry too much about how I treated Askin though. Halfway when I was writing this, I was reading the chapters in which Askin had a fight and I was rather impressed, not because of his abilities but because of his reasoning. You must have giant sized balls if the only reason you follow someone like Yhwach was because of your own interests. Aside from that, he is also one of the few male sternritters that didn't have an annoying personality so with both of these reasons, I decided not to kill him. Although I might kill him in the future, for now he lives. Don't worry though as I'm gonna give Askin the justice he deserves in a future chapter**

**So that is my reasoning for why I wrote the chapters like this so I hope you understand. And by the way, I finally realized that in order to write the techniques in japanese, I have to individually put in the word and choose the kanji for it. If there is no direct kanji translation, then I have to write something similar to the intended word. So tell me in the reviews if you want me to retranslate the names of Ichigo's zanpakuto. You can find those on chapter twenty four**

**PS: If you don't know what nerf is, it means to weaken**


	44. Chapter 43

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleac**

* * *

**Chapter Forty Three - All is Lost**

**-Soul Society-**

All the battles have just ended. Out of the schutzstaffel, only Askin survived by playing dead and the other three have been killed. It did not come without a cost as Renji and Rukia were in even worse condition that they were after the first invasion, Zaraki lost one of his arms and Kyoraku was severely injured, so much so that he was almost half dead at this point. Ginjo and Tsukishima were only slightly injured due to Askin's powers but nothing fatal. Luckily for the soul reapers, the arrancars arrived just in time to help them and as a result, the didn't suffer any casualties

It didn't take long for everyone to regroup at the soul reapers' headquarters, including the sternritters who have had their powers stolen. Yoruichi, Harribel and Isshin were the first ones to came back

"Yoruichi? Have you already defeated the sternritter?" Kisuke asked as she and the other two came back. "And is that, Tier Harribel?"

"Yes, that is me." Harribel confirmed

"So you came to help huh?" Isshin asked

"Yes. A couple days ago, the quincies attempted to invade hueco mundo and take over las noches. We have managed to stop them from their objective and we decided to check the soul society if anything else was going on." Harribel answered, obviously a lie but no one noticed

"Thanks for that. You're help will be most useful, although you might not like that Aizen is walking free." Yoruichi pointed out

Harribel frowned at this. While she was already aware of that, she decided not to let anyone know. "I see. I don't have any choice in this matter then."

All the others just looked at her strangely. This was the espada that AIzen personally cut down yet she acts as if it never happened. Something was obviously off, the only question was what. It didn't take long for the others to come back, now joined by the other espadas and quincies. Aizen and Ulquiorra were relatively unharmed while Renji and Rukia were in critical condition. Zaraki lost an arm and still he acts like nothing happened. Starrk arrived last, carrying a very injured Kyoraku on his back while Shinji gained just enough cosciousness to come back carrying Rukia. It didn't take long for Orihime and Isane to try to tend to their wounds

When Tetsuzaemon saw Bambietta come in, he was instantly furious at the one who killed his captain. "You..." he said venomously while drawing his zanpakuto

"Easy there Tetsuzaemon." Ikkaku said while putting a hand on his shoulder

"That bastard's the one who killed captain Komamura." Tetsuzaemon countered

The scene made was finally noticed by everyone, including the group from hueco mundo

"Do you know him Bambi?" Starrk asked

"Not sure." Bambietta said with a thoughtful expression. "Now I remember. I think he was the lieutenant of that doggie I killed last invasion."

"Don't you dare talk about my captain that way!" Tetsuzaemon yelled and tried to attack. To his dismay however, Bambietta simply slashed the air. It missed him by a hair but it did cause him to stop

The soul reapers were immediately on alert but they also saw the arrancars do the same. The distrust was already showing and were just a small wrong step away from escalation, something they could not afford right now. Luckily, it didn't escalate as Bambietta didn't bother to attack even more and just sheathed her sword while Ikkaku and Yumichika forcibly put down Tetsuzaemon

"What the hell is wrong with you? I killed your captain. Get over it. Right now the fate of the world hangs in the balance and you're gonna wager its survival based on your own ego or stupidity? Is vengeance for the death of one captain really a good trade for having everything destroyed?" Bambietta asked angrily. "If you wanna join the doggie that badly then I'll gladly send you to wherever he is, if we survive this. Battling it now would be pointless."

This made Tetsuzaemon shut up. The other soul reapers were also angry at how nonchalantly this sternritter just talked about killing one of their own, however, they chose to just let it go, for now, causing a very tense silence of nothing but distrust and glares thrown around the room. Aizen however, was quite amused at how helpless his former colleagues are. Everything the thirteen court guard squads despises is now forced unto their faces

"Anyway, Kisuke Urahara, have you created a way for us to enter the royal palace?" Aizen asked after a while of silence, bringing everyone out of their glaring contest

"It's nearly finished. I just need a few more minutes and adjustments since I didn't account that this many of us would go there." Kisuke answer in his usual happy voice

Upon hearing this, the others immediately decided to tend to all of their wounds as they knew that once the gate was finished, there wouldn't be any second to waste

**-Royal Palace-**

Just seconds after Yhwach, Haschwalth and Uryu arrived, they were immediately attacked by Tenjiro Kirinji, who basically shot them with hot water although it barely had any effect

"Tenjiro Kirinji. Do you really think that water would have had an effect against us?" Yhwach asked in amusement

"Nope. That was more like a welcome greeting." Tenjiro answered honestly. "At any rate, do you know where you are? This is the soul king's palace. No uninvited guests allowed."

"And do you think that someone like you can stop me?" Yhwach said with a smirk

"If I didn't think that then I wouldn't be standing here now would I?" Tenjiro responded with a smirk before charging at Yhwach, attempting to just cut him down then and there. To his dismay however, Haschwalth easily blocked it before Uryu fired an arrow, forcing Tenjiro to fall back

"Do not think you will be able to fight his majesty so easily." Haschwalth said scoldingly

Before Tenjiro could respond, someone began walking towards them

"It's been a while Yhwach. You have some nerve just barging into the royal palace like this. I guess your victory over Genryusai has made you cocky." Senjumaru said while walking towards them

"Senjumaru Shutara. I see you have made it to the royal guard." Yhwach said nonchalantly

As there appeared to be a tense atmosphere and that no one was making the first move, Haschwalth decided to do it himself. He put his hand up in front of him, creating a shadow portal behind him, allowing a small army of the soldats that were saved specifically for this section of the war

"Enter, soldats." Haschwalth said and soon, it closed

Before anything else could happen, the soldats were completely cut down, much to everyone's shock

"What?" Uryu asked, surprised at what just happened

"You really ought to be more careful and not leave your backside open like that." the attacker made itself known, which was none other than Oetsu Nimaiya

"Even you show up here, Oetsu Nimaiya. How insolent of the royal guard." Yhwach commented while Uryu and Haschwalth just observed

Suddenly, the three quincies were all trapped in some kind of cage that looked like it was made of wood. Uryu immediately tried to fire arrows but all were blocked when branches appeared out of the main trunks. Haschwalth tried to cut down the main branches but it had no effect. It didn't even put so much as a scratch

"What is this?" Haschwalth asked

"The cage of life. This tree is made from my spiritual pressure. The tree won't miss out on anything that yummy. So go wild if you want. It will not break." another voice called out and the three quincies all looked to the side

"Kirio Hikifune. So, four of the royal guard have come to stop me. Where is Hyosube?" Yhwach said rather calmly for a man trapped in a cage

"Don't get so arrogant Yhwach. You won't make it to the real palace alive." Senjumaru threatened before the space around them became distorted, revealing that all of them were standing in something shaped like a pier, with the real palace appearing right above them

"What is this? Where are we?" Uryu asked in shock

"I see. So you deliberately kept us busy here while you were busy hiding the real palace entrypoint, is that it?" Haschwalth said in realization

"You are a sharp one. Indeed. This pier your standing on, was built specifically for your deaths." Nimaiya answered, readying his sword once more

"So that's how it is. Uryu, Haschwalth, I'll leave them to you. I will go on to the main palace." Yhwach instructed

"Yes, your majesty." they both replied in unison

"Uh, excuse me? How are you gonna go if you're trapped inside that damn cage? Is your brain damaged or something?" Tenjiro asked with an expression that was both annoyed and confused

His comrades shared the confused expression. Just when Senjumaru was about to ask what in the hell Yhwach was talking about, they soon got their answer. Yhwach put both of his arms in front of him and a bit to the side. They were then turned covered in blue energies, forming what appeared to be a pillar of energy that started from his hands. Blue patterns then appeared on both Haschwalth and Uryu's body and soon, their spiritual pressures got stronger

"Now, let's go, Uryu, Haschwalth." Yhwach said which left the royal guard even more confused as to what exactly was happening

"Yes, your majesty." Haschwalth said before slashing the branches right in front of them, breaking it completely

Uryu immediately took this chance and fired an arrow at the royal guard, forcing them to split up

"What? How? What the hell is this?" Tenjiro asked in surprise

"The auswahlen." Uryu answered

"What's that?" Tenjiro asked once more

"It is a redistribution power. The quincies who have been deemed as useless and unnecessary shall have their powers taken. His majesty can then decide on whether to keep it for himself or give it to those in need. Right before we came to this place, his majesty has taken the powers of all the sternritters with the exception of the schutzstaffel and has saved it for this occasion. Those who receive the power, grow stronger than ever." Haschwalth explained

"I see. Don't think that will change anything." Senjumaru warned before soldiers in a black garb appeared

"I will leave this in both your hands." Yhwach said calmly

"Yes, your majesty." the two replied in unison, just like previously

Yhwach then immediately used hirenkyaku to flash behind all of the soul reapers, heading to the stairs that lead to the main palace while killing the soldiers

"How insolent. Do you really think you could pass that easily?" Senjumaru said and drew her sword, immediately trying to attack Yhwach. Before she could though, an arrow was suddenly shot on the floor right in front of her, preventing her from doing so

"I apologize. But his majesty must not be disturbed." Uryu said in a threatening voice

"You can either move out of our way, or you will be killed right here and now." Haschwalth warned them

"Leave him then. We won't be able to do anything with these two here. Let Hyosube deal with him." Senjumaru ordered. Seeing no other choice, the others reluctantly agreed

"So I take it your choice is to stand in our way then?" Haschwalth asked

"Ya idiot. Who do you think we are?" Nimaiya retorted and immediately flashed to Haschwalth, locking swords with him

Uryu then immediately fired arrows at the others, causing them to retreat while Tenjiro flashed behind Uryu in an attempt to cut him down but missed as Uryu flashed away himself

Just as the royal guard engaged the two sternritters, a garganta appeared in Hyosube's palace and Ichigo came out. Due to everything that was going on, nobody noticed it

'So, the battles have already begun.' Ichigo commented before releasing his shikai and going invisible before moving to observe the battles

**"Not gonna help even the royal guard are you?"**

'Nope. I already told them I would fight this war on my own terms. Besides, I already said that I wanna see what other history those two might have.' Ichigo answered, looking directly at Yhwach, who just reached the top of the stairs only to be greeted by Hyosube

_"Ichigo, this might not be something you would be particularly interested, however, there is a vault back in Ichibe Hyosube's palace."_

'A vault?'

"**Yeah. I noticed that too the last time you were here. It isn't exactly a vault but it's something close to one. Whatever it is, it seems to be a place of interest."**

'I see.' Ichigo answered and flashed away. When he arrived back at Ichibe's palace, he created two creatures and made them invisible before having them observe the fights in his place. 'So where is this vault?'

"**Head down that path over there. If there is anything out of the ordinary, it's that."**

Ichigo followed the instructions and soon found himself just outside of where Hyosube trained him. He looked for anything and at first found none. He decided to lightly bang the the walls with the hilt of his trench knife. This one took a while and eventually, he found a part where the sound was different from the other parts he banged. 'Is this it?'

_"It appears so. Otherwise, why would it be different from the other parts of the wall?"_

That was all Ichigo needed. He continued his banging once more to find out where this door ended. After doing so, he put his hand all over the area and eventually, found something that was pushed. Just like that, the door opened. Due to the fact that Hyosube's palace was at the very far end of where the battles were taking place, nobody noticed it. Even if it wasn't the fact that it was way above the royal palace's entrance would make it next to impossible to hear anything if you're not in the area. Ichigo then just walked inside, still invisible. Inside, he was rather curious as to what all the things were

'What are these things?' Ichigo asked, looking at a bunch of crystals

"**So that's how they managed to speed up time when you were here."**

'What?'

_"These crystals manipulate the flow of time. I am not exactly sure how to use it. What I do know is that for a specific duration, this can be used to speed up the flow of time in an area, similar to how time in the precipice world is two thousand years faster than anywhere outside. It seems that the royal guard have managed to create something to replicate that effect."_

'I see. But how come Kisuke didn't make one himself?'

**"That's because stuff like this takes more than science. You're basically altering nature herself so it would be almost impossible for Kisuke to make this if he isn't in this place."**

'Why is that?'

_"There are techniques that exist, or that can only be done here in the royal palace. A good example would be the creation of the asauchi."_

'Oh okay gotcha.' Ichigo said before delving deeper into the vaults. He saw some random books that he didn't bother to read. It was probably some history or how to do the stuff they do in the royal palace. What really got his attention though, was some sort of pedestal at the far wall. 'What is that?'

With Yhwach, the moment he arrived at the top of the stairs, he found Ichibe Hyosube just standing there, waiting for him

"So, here you are, Ichibe Hyosube." Yhwach said calmly. "Will you let me pass?"

"Don't call my name so casually." Ichibe warned. "Your throat might get crushed." he said before grabbing his brush sword and drew a line right in front of him. "From here." He then flashed to a small distance behind him and drew another line. "To here. In this space, I'll kill you. It is a bit long though."

"That's pointless. You'll die three steps before that, Ichibe Hyosube." Yhwach said

Ichibe then merely draw some weird symbols on the ground before giving his response. "I told you not to speak my name so casually." he warned and soon, they crossed swords, or rather, a paint brush crossed with a sword

They two of them tried to cut each other down, rather in Ichibe's case, tried to at least put the feathery end of his brush against his opponent but both these efforts proved to be of no avail as both combatants appeared to be even. The cycle then changed a bit as they stopped trying to clash swords and instead go for the kill, however, they both dodged each others attempts to kill them. This process went on a bit longer until Yhwach felt that Uryu and Haschwalth were in trouble which did not go unnoticed by Ichibe

"Something wrong? Don't tell me you're worried about your underlings?" Ichibe asked condescendingly

Instead of replying, Yhwach simply did the one thing he could do to help them, he used the auswahlen yet again. At first, it seemed futile as most of the other sternritters already lost their powers. For one reason or another, he didn't bother to check if anyone outside the schutzstaffel was still alive. He tried to use it on the schutzstaffel but they were dead, most of them. Yhwach stole the powers of the last remaining member of the schutzstaffel, Askin, and gave it to Uryu and Haschwalth

While Yhwach was busy toying around with Hyosube, both Uryu and Haschwalth were having trouble against the royal guard. It is true that neither of them have revealed their powers yet, the royal guard have also been not holding back. As soon as Yhwach left for the main palace, they engaged the two quincies and it didn't take long for most of them to release their shikais. Kirio even went to her slender form to be able to fight more effectively. Nimaiya was the first to make his move. He immediately managed to inflict some wounds on both quincies. Uryu immediately tried to counter attack with a volley but Nimaiya just neatly sliced the arrows, every single one. This left him open to attack by Tenjiro who quickly blindsided Uryu but was blocked by Haschwalth

"Surprised you didn't I? This is the power of my Zanpakuto, Sayafushi. The more blood it draws, the lethality and precision of its strikes increases." Nimaiya said with a smirk as he had already cut the two of them quite a bit

"Don't you think it is rather arrogant to explain your powers in the middle of a fight?" Haschwalth asked, almost in a scolding tone as he pushed Tenjiro away

"Perhaps, but would you rather die not know what you're dealing with?" Tenjiro pointed out

"Guess not." Uryu said rather calmly

"Good. Now be a good boy and die already." Tenjiro yelled and attacked again

This time, Kirio joined in and used her released shikai, which looks like a machete nearly the length of a katana. It had an azure colored hilt with a red colored cloth hanging from the end of its grip. She tried to attack Uryu while Tenjiro went after Haschwalth

Since Haschwalth was busy with his own problems, Uryu was forced to use his bow to block, before drawing one of the selee scheiners he keeps with him and counter attacking. Uryu dispelled his bow to get a better grip of his sword. However, since he wasn't particularly skilled with a sword, Kirio forced him on the defensive. This forced him to move backwards as she was basically pushing him away at this point. Deciding on a new strategy, he flashed to a good distance behind him before firing an arrow. This time Kirio was forced to block it. However, this also left Uryu open and Nimaiya quickly took advantage of that and cut him down. Uryu survived and managed to land a hit with another seele schneider, forcing Nimaiya to move back a bit. Uryu did not wait a moment longer and immediately fired another selee schneider, hitting Nimaiya in his left shoulder

"Well now, that was a nice shot there." Nimaiya commented before he suddenly felt weaker. "What is this?"

"Seele schneider. It weakens the bonds between reishi, making it easier to steal it." Uryu explained however, since it was still a two on one, Kirio was able to flash behind him and slash him across his back and he soon feel down

Haschwalth was in a much better position than Uryu. Since he was more of a swordfighter, he was able to keep up with Tenjiro rather easily. The two kept clashing swords and eventually ended up in a sword lock. This did not last long however as from Tenjiro's blade, it suddenly became extremely bright, almost blinding. Because of this, Haschwalth was forced to move back. Tenjiro quickly took advantage of this and managed to land another wound on him

"Hard to fight isn't it? This is the power of my zanpakuto, Kinpika. It alters my victim's perception of their surroundings, causing them to become blinded by a bright light." Tenjiro explained

Before Haschwalth could collect himself, Senjumaru flashed behind him and attacked him with her artifiial limbs, punching a few holes right through him and just like Uryu, he too fell down. Surprisingly, neither of them used their bluts in the battle, yet

"So this is the might of the sternritters? That was disappointing." Senjumaru commented as they regrouped at the bottom of the stairs

"Don't be so critical. It was four on two so it shouldn't that much of a surprise." Nimaiya pointed out

"While that is true, the fact still remains that they chose to come here, just the three of them. If they did that then they should have been able to put up more of a fight." Senjumaru argued

"That is a good point though. Maybe their goal was only to buy time. They didn't use their blut venes after all." Kirio pondered

Before they could take one step into the stairs, they suddenly felt the spiritual pressures rise quite a bit. They immediately diverted their attention to the opponents they thought were killed and were surprised as they were getting back up with the same patterns appearing all over them as before, despite their prior injuries still there. This made the royal guard realize that they have been given even more power by the auswahlen which made them wonder if there were other sternritters alive or if Yhwach chose to steal the powers of the schutzstaffel

"Will you just die already?" Tenjiro grumbled in frustration and immediately engaged Uryu, who blocked with another seele schneider. "Just how many of that thing do you have anyway?"

"Five, actually. This is the third one I used so I still have two." Uryu responded before Nimaiya attempted to blindside him. This did not work as Haschwalth blocked his attack

With his shikai still released, Tenjiro used it again, this time to blind Uryu, who left himself open to attack by Kirio. This time however, Uryu used his blut vene and it blocked most of the damage. Tenjiro used this chance to kick Uryu away but it worked against him. Since archery was Uryu's preferred method of fighting, putting the distance worked in his favor as Uryu activated blut arterie, causing red grid patterns to appear on his body before firing a light regen, sending a volley of arrows. Tenjiro and Kirio thought this was just another random volley but they soon learned their mistakes as this time, it was enhanced by blut arterie and they felt it. While it didn't do that much, they know knew that they had to be careful

Haschwalth was still busy fighting Nimaiya one on one. Like in a classic swordfight, they were trying to cut each other down while dodging the other's attack. However, due to the blood that Nimaiya already drew earlier, his attacks were much more precise, forcing Haschwalth to block them as it didn't give him a chance to dodge. He did get hit a few times but he too has activated his blut vene and the damage was minimized. The two eventually forced each other away and they just stood there, waiting for the other to make a move. After a few minutes of staring, Haschwalth looked at Uryu, who had just recovered from the blinding effects of Tenjiro's shikai. The two then shared a glance of understanding, before Haschwalth decided to abandon his fight and tried to attack Tenjiro. Nimaiya was shocked at Haschwalth for just flashing away in the middle of a fight but he soon realized why as Uryu fired another seele schneider at him, forcing him to dodge but this time, it changed direction and he was hit right on one of his legs

Tenjiro and Kirio on the other hand were surprised as well that their opponent changed targets but they soon engaged Haschwalth instead with Uryu providing cover fire for the grandmaster. Nimaiya however, was obviously not put down by Uryu's attack and went to help. The process repeated itself over and over with the sternritters constantly switching targets to throw them off

Senjumaru, who had still been on the chair observing, chose to involve herself now. Her colleagues were busy fighting the two quincies and the battle appeared to be even. None of them even used the other techniques of their zanpakuto at their disposal. Deciding to end this fight now, she decided to release her shikai. "Now weave Ketsusen Shoku." she said, releasing her shikai. Her katana then turned shorter and changed its shape into a sai knife with a couple needles hanging from a thin thread off its grip. Senjumaru then swung her sword, releasing a long line of threads at the fights. This caused the other royal guard members to break off as they knew it was a bad idea who got hit by the threads

"What is this?" Haschwalth asked as he and Uryu got hit by the threads, although it did not do much other than cover them for a bit but they knew something was up

The two soon got their answer when suddenly, they were pierced by spikes all over their body. Some spikes even hit them in the neck and they fell down. Surprisingly, that attack didn't kill them although they appeared to be very injured at this point

"What's going on?" Uryu asked in shock at what happened

"This is the power of my zanpakuto, Ketsusen Shoku. It allows me to manipulate the clothing of anyone who comes in contact with the threads in any way I please." Senjumaru explained

"So, you turned our clothes into lethal weapons that we cannot escape from, is that it?" Haschwalth asked despite his injuries

"Basically, yes." Senjumaru answered

As the royal guard members were moving to regroup, they were all suddenly injured from an unseen attack and this time, all of them fell to the ground

"What's going on?" Tenjiro managed to ask before he fell

"What you're feeling now is the effects of our own powers." Uryu answered

"What?" Kirio asked weakly

"I am sternritter A 'the Antithesis', Uryu Ishida. My schrift's power is to reverse any situation I am in." Uryu explained

"And I am sternritter B 'the Balance', Jugram Haschwalth. My power is to redirect any misfortune."

This caused the members of the royal guard to widen their eyes in surprise in realization of their fatal mistake

"So you intentionally allowed us to hit you?" Senjumaru managed to ask weakly

"Yes. We have been waiting for the most optimal time to use our powers and turn the tide of this battle. Now then, farewell, members of the royal guard." Haschwalth said before executing their enemies. "Let's go help his majesty, Uryu." he said and started walking towards the stairs

"Yes, grandmaster." Uryu said respectfully and followed Haschwalth's lead

When they reached the top of the stairs however, they were surprised that Yhwach already had Hyosube nearly beat

"What? How? Your name should be gone?" Ichibe asked as he was cut down

"His majesty has the ability to see all that will happen and when he knows of your powers, defeating him would be impossible. He is after all the A, which represents his powers, 'the Almighty'." Haschwalth said as he and Uryu reached the top and rejoined with Yhwach. "His majesty usually fights with his 'eyes' closed. It's not really about underestimating his opponent. The sealed king of the quincies needed nine hundred years to regain consciousness, ninety years to catch up with recent events and nine more years to regain his powers. If he ever opened his eyes before the nine years was over, he would lose control of the almighty, and would thus absorb the powers of all the sternritters. While his majesty chose to keep his eyes closed for us, you've forced him to open them. However, it could also be because those nine years are over."

"Indeed. Now that my eyes are open, I can see anything and everything that will happen in the future and when I know of a power, you cannot defeat me with that very same power, much less hurt me with it. That is my power, the almighty." Yhwach said before proceeding to execute Hyosube. "Let's go, Uryu, Haschwalth. The royal guard has fallen. Nothing stands in our way now."

"Yes, your majesty." they both replied in unison

Before anything else could happen however, a loud noise was suddenly heard

"What was that?" Haschwalth asked as they all stopped walking

The answer soon made itself known as a very fast entity sped through the area, completely catching Uryu and Haschwalth off guard. They only saw him once before he was suddenly in front of the trio. Even Yhwach was caught off guard by this and as a result, was pushed down the stairs. Their attacker however, made his identity to Uryu alone by quickly having his sword make contact with him before the attacker forced Yhwach down. With a single slash, the entire stairs and the fake entrypoint was completely destroyed, causing both the attacked and Yhwach to fall down straight to the seireitei

"You majesty!" Haschwalth called out and attempted to follow, only to have an arrow shot right in front of where he was about to take his next step. "You..."

"Sorry Haschwalth, but I cannot let Yhwach destroy everything I hold dear." Uryu said defiantly as he was now aware that he was not alone in taking down Yhwach and soon they began to fight

**-Soul Society-**

The auswahlen that Yhwach made on the last surviving schutzstaffel member did not go unnoticed however, none of them chose to hunt him down since they knew he wouldn't be that much of a problem, or so they thought

While the battles in royal palace raged, Kisuke was still busy on making the finishing touches on their entryway to the palace

"Hey baldy. Is it done yet?" Hiyori grumbled, obviously bored of waiting

"Just about." Kisuke answered

"Is that a gate?" Shinji asked

"Yes. If we used Kukaku's flower crane cannon, it would take a few trips for all of us to go to the royal palace so I figured it would be better to create a gate instead." Kisuke answered thoughtfully

"I see. So will it work?" Byakuya asked

"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. This would be a do or die anyway." Kisuke responded in a serious tone

"It's not going to work." a voice called out from somewhere, grabbing everyone's attention

"You... the last member of the schutzstaffel." Harribel said, knowing who this man is

"Yep that's me, Askin Nakk le Vaar." he said, introducing himself to everyone

"Why are you here? I doubt you're here to kill us since Yhwach stole most of your powers." Bambietta asked suspicously

"Very perceptive. Although I am rather curious as to how you survived Gremmy, I'll leave it at that for now. To answer your question, no. At this point, I honestly don't care about Yhwach and I wanna kill him for stealing my powers." Askin said seriously

"Yeah well, get in line. We're taking turns beating him up." Liltotto said

"Why did you say this gate will not work?" Aizen asked, going back to the main topic

"When someone from the royal palace comes down to the seireitei, the barriers separating the two places are opened and will remain open for six thousand seconds or one hour and forty minutes. Under Yhwach's orders, we were to open the barriers from this side to allow us entry however, that was a futile task so instead, we created something that should the barriers be opened, it will remain open indefinitely." Askin explained

"I see. So you used Rukia Kuchiki and the others to keep the barriers open until Yhwach decided to head to the palace." Aizen realized

"Yes however, it has not been closed since Yhwach went topside." Askin said

"Why is that?" Kisuke asked

"The device we created was not simply meant to open the barriers, it was to prevent anyone from following. If anyone outside the schutzstaffel, Uryu, Haschwalth and Yhwach were to follow, the device would abruptly close down the barriers, preventing anyone else from going up there regardless of method used. The only way to reopen them would be from the royal palace's side." Askined explained, while surprised everyone while many started to lose any hope of stopping Yhwach

"So you're saying that if we were to go now, the gate would suddenly close and we'd be trapped here?" Kisuke asked in shock

"Exactly." Askin said before putting a hand into his pocket and throwing his medallion to Kisuke, who caught it. "Use that."

"Your medallion?" Kisuke asked, confused

"Yes. Each of the medallions belonging to the schutzstaffel have been modified. Aside from stealing a bankai, it can also be used to bypass any device created by us. If you were to open the gate with that medallion being in your machine, it will consider you as one of the schutzstaffel and would allow you access." Askin said

"Great. Now we have to wait some more." Shinji muttered

"I assume you want something for this then?" Yoruichi asked

"I do. I want to come with you to the palace. When you serve someone willingly only to have your power stolen, you..." Askin said but he stopped when it suddenly became darker. "What?" he said, looking up

Everyone else mimicked his actions and saw that the sky was growing darker, expanding outwards with its starting point appearing to be where the ones from the royal palace came down through

"What's going on? Has the soul king died already?" Nel asked

"I doubt it. If the soul king has died, then earthquakes would have happened or worse, the earth would split apart. Whatever this is, it's different." Bambietta answered

"Is this your power Candice?" Bazz B asked, confused

"No it's not. My power is simply to manipulate lighting. While I can manipulate the clouds to produce lightning bolts, it does not cause the sky to darken. Besides, as someone who uses the weather for my powers, I know this isn't a weather phenomenon. It's almost as if the light itself is being devoured by the darkness." Candice pointed out

"She's right. I also doubt any weather related things would cause you to feel this despair or something." Starrk agreed

"Indeed. It's almost as if the air itself is exerting hatred and murder." Isshin commented as he, along with everyone else began to feel various negative emotions coming from the atmosphere. The most prominent one being hatred

Everyone was then shocked when the darkness has fully reached the horizon, which was around the mountains far away from the seireitei. It didn't stop there as the darkness suddenly began swirling around, making it look like an eye of the storm

"What's going on?" Rukia asked in a panic. Everyone were also appearing to be in a panic with the exception of the ones who came from hueco mundo as they already knew who the cause of this was, or at the very least had suspicions

Everyone observed the swirling darkness above them while also being a bit terrified as the atmosphere itself was screaming murder. Soon, a patch of darkness fell from the center heading straight towards the seireitei

"Up there!" Lilynette called out, drawing everyone's attention to it

The surprise didn't stop there as everyone felt Yhwach's spiritual pressure when Lilynette called it. When the falling object hit the ground, the darkness around it cleared, revealing a man in a very familiar camouflage suit standing on top of a partially destroyed building along with Yhwach who was on the ground. What really shocked everyone the most was that someone was actually powerful enough to force Yhwach out of the palace

Yhwach and his attacker soon got into fighting each other as the attacker was using both of his blades while Yhwach was only using one. The didn't fight for that long as Yhwach managed to knock his attacker's blades off and force him to the ground, holding his sword at his opponent's throat. To his surprise however, his attacker merely used his legs to push him over his head. Yhwach immediately got up and turned around but was suddenly kicked into another partially destroyed building. Before anything else could happen, the mystery guy pointed his finger at where he kicked Yhwach and charged up a crimson cero before firing it, creating a huge explosion. He then grabbed the bow on his back, which was the very same he found at the vault in Hyosube's palace and threw it towards where everyone else were, specifically to the arrancars. Starrk caught on to what he was trying to do and used sonido to catch the bow midflight and return back to the others. Before he could wonder what it was, other words were spoken

"Who is that? Is that the guy that killed Marechiyo?" Renji asked, shocked at the guy's massive power

"Yes he is. The odd thing is just like before, we cannot sense his spiritual pressure." Byakuya confirmed

They were then taken out of their discussion when Yhwach forced the smoke to clear and he stood there, barely scathed by the attack. "I see. You really do have a knack of doing the unexpected don't you, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

At the mention of his name, everyone except the ones from hueco mundo were surprised as hell, even Aizen. All the captains except Shinji noticeably cringed as they knew that they were all screwed, either by Yhwach's hand or Ichigo's. This did not go unnoticed by Kisuke's group but they were too shocked to even make a comment or ask about their reactions while Aizen, who got over his surprise rather quickly, was now amused as he was well aware of the reason on why Ichigo basically abandoned the soul society

"Well now, that's disappointing. It didn't take you long to figure out who I am." Ichigo said while removing his mask and there he stood, completely revealing himself to everyone, with a sarcastic smirk on his. "Hello Yhwach. We meet at last."

* * *

**So, now it all begins. I'm not gonna cover Haschwalth and Uryu's fight as that would be rather boring. When you consider both their powers, the only thing that would happen is that they would just transfer their injuries to each other so their fight would go on indefinitely. This means that the next chapter will be dedicated to the fight of the century. That's about it for me I guess**

**Translations:**

**Ketsusen Shoku - Blood Stained Fabric**


	45. Chapter 44

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Forty Four - Vendetta **

**-Soul Society-**

The shock still wasn't over. There he stood, someone who nearly everyone thought lost his powers and now he has returned at the pinnacle of the war. The soul reaper captains, were not sure to be relieved at Ichigo coming here or be afraid that once Yhwach was dead, they would be next. They made a bad decision out of their pure arrogance and now, they would face the wrath of whoever wins this fight and neither of it was gonna end well for them. The same went for the fullbringers. What made them even more uneasy was the fact that both Ichigo and Yhwach were just having a staring contest

"Is that Ichigo...?" Renji asked in surprise

The others were too surprised to even form a response, especially the captains minus Shinji. Eventually though, Isshin managed to find his voice

"You knew about this didn't you?" Isshin asked the arrancars

"Yes." Ulquiorra simply responded. "During Ichigo's battle with Aizen, I actually observed it from afar. While I could not sense either of their spiritual pressure, I could tell that after using his final getsuga tensho technique, Ichigo's power did not disappear but was instead rising very quickly."

"Indeed. A few months ago, Ichigo came to las noches to ask for our permission to train in hueco mundo. During that time, he told us about the wandenreich and warned us about the possibility of a quincy invasion. While it was unknown if they would actually attack, Ichigo used something he learned from Aizen and convinced us to prepare for it." Harribel added

"Something he learned from me you say? What would that be?" Aizen asked, growing more curious by the second

"That it is always better to be safe than sorry. When Ichigo warned us, he said that whether the quincies would attack hueco mundo or not is irrelevant. What really mattered is if they do attack, we would be ready and even if they didn't, then we would still be able to join this war." Starrk answered

"So he warned you but chose not to tell us?" Yoruichi asked suspiciously

"To be honest, I think that Ichigo wanted to tell you about this and that the only reason he didn't was because he did not want the soul society to know about the wandenreich. While we know the reason why, it is something that should come from Ichigo himself and not us." Nel answered thoughtfully

"So he decided to keep us in the dark? What the hell did you do to Ichigo?" Rukia demanded to know, which merely caused the group from hueco mundo to sigh

"It's actually quite pathetic don't you think?" Ulquiorra asked and got curious looks from everyone who didn't know about Ichigo. "When something goes wrong, you immediately blame everyone but yourselves for it. You didn't even bother to consider that perhaps the reason Ichigo chose to abandon you was a result of your own doing."

Before Rukia could even form a response, Orihime suddenly called out. While she too was shocked with Ichigo, she still did not lose too much focus and continued trying to undo the zombification. "Shinji, I think they're okay now. They might still be a little weak."

"Thanks Orihime." Hacchi said gratefully and soon, the four zombified visored got up albeit very weakly

"Hachi? Love? What?" Kensei asked in surprise. Everyone's discussion was stopped when they suddenly felt a massive power

It was Ichigo and Yhwach. The two decided to end their staring contest and went back to fighting after Ichigo removed his gloves and put it in his pocket. Yhwach released a massive arrow at his opponent. Ichigo on the other hand, stood there unfazed before putting out his left hand and suddenly, his trench knife was on his hand before he swung it down, neatly cutting the arrow in half and this got everyone's attention. Ichigo then immediately counter attacked by swinging his trench knife, unleashing a torrent of black flames. Yhwach took a direct hit and he, along with everything near him, was turned to stone. This did not last long as Yhwach broke free from it and flashed towards Ichigo and locked swords with him. Ichigo then put out his right hand and his khyber knife appeared. Yhwach noticed this and fell back otherwise, he was gonna be injured. At this point, it became apparent that Ichigo knew what he was doing and was well aware of the one thing that could work against the almighty, turning the entire future against it. Yhwach was now aware of this himself as he knew that despite being able to see the future, it works against him if he is not familiar against someone's power due to the endless possibilities. He was unable to think about it for too long as Ichigo flashed in front of him, hell bent on cutting him down however, Yhwach did manage to parry the strike. The two continued to clash although neither were giving it their all, yet. Eventually, Ichigo released another torrent of black flames. This time, it burned everything that stood in its way towards it target. Yhwach just used his ability to manipulate reishi and created some sort of shield, before redirecting the flames somewhere else and the two ended up in another sword lock

While Ichigo and Yhwach just resumed fighting, Bambietta and Candice noticed something which shocked them to their core

"Is that...?" Bambietta asked with her jaw falling down

"The seelenbindung?" Candice finished with all the other quincies shocked as well

"What is that?" Ulquiorra asked

Managing to recompose herself, Bambietta explained. "It is a very advanced quincy technique. It allows us to bind an object directly to us. The way it works is, once something is bound, that person can summon it directly to her or him regardless of where said person or the object is."

"So you're saying that if Ichigo left his zanpakuto in hueco mundo, he could call it to his hand even from here?" Harribel asked

"Yes however, it does have a couple major downsides. The first is, once you summon the object, you're stuck with it so this technique is best used on weapons so we can have always one in case of emergency. The second is this technique is such a pain in the ass to learn that none of the quincies outside of Yhwach is capable of doing it." Candice explained which shocked everyone, and by everyone it included the soul reapers, fullbringers, arrancars and other quincies. "Just how much power does Ichigo truly have now?"

This also made everyone wonder about this which wasn't surprising as after all, Ichigo was thought to be a regular human for at least a year now

"Starkkkkkkkkk!" Lilynette suddenly yelled as she jumped on Starrk. "What are you doing? Shouldn't you go help Ichigo?"

Starrk merely pulled her off before giving his answer. "No. In fact, we shouldn't interfere in this battle at all."

"What?" Lilynette asked in shock

"Lilynette." Harribel called out. "You need to calm down and think about this. What do you think would happen if we go out there and help him?"

"Starrk is right Lilynette. If we do join this fight, we would only get in his way. Worse yet, we might leave him open to an attack by Yhwach." Nel agreed

"But..."

"Lilynette. I will tell you a little secret about the wandenreich." Candice said which grabbed the arrancar's attention. "Before this war started, we have marked five high value individuals. These five have the potential to slow down or outright cause the invasion to fail. The first is Ichibe Hyosube, the leader of the royal guard. The second is squad eleven captain Kenpachi Zaraki. The third is the perverted shopkeeper Kisuke Urahara and the fourth is Sosuke Aizen. Now, try to guess who reigns at the top."

"Ichigo?" Lilynette asked

"Yes. Ichigo was deemed to be the most dangerous of these individuals, otherwise known as the notable threats. In fact, Aizen and Ichigo were deemed so dangerous that the first invasion was launched knowing that neither of the two were gonna interfere." Bambietta added

"Why is that?" Lilynette continued to ask as she was still worried about Ichigo

"The power of Kyoka Suigetsu is very dangerous. If we launched the invasion with Aizen free and against us, he could have single handedly stopped the invasion by making us think we are fighting the soul reapers but when in fact, we were actually fighting each other. For Ichigo, it is because even Yhwach admits that if Ichigo knew about his heritage, he could also single handedly stop the invasion. Being a natural born hybrid of a hollow, quincy and soul reaper grants him power that far surpasses most beings, even the schutzstaffel. While Ichigo lacks the amount of utility Kyoka Suigetsu has, he more than makes up for it with his raw power." Bambietta explained which finally calmed her down a bit while it did shock the soul reapers however, they chose to keep their silence

"They're right Lilynette." Aizen said which caused all attention to divert to him. "While you may not be able to sense it, I can. The power Ichigo possesses now is far greater than what he had during our last fight and the strength of Ichigo's spiritual pressure is already great enough to rival Yhwach's own."

While having calmed down a bit, Lilynette was still obviously worried about Ichigo. This was noticed by everyone. Isshin also shared this worry as it was his own son after all. One thing was for sure though, he and Ichigo did need to have a talk about this. However, both Isshin and Kisuke's minds began to race. They were so worried that they became silent and Isshin only managed to ask one thing before returning to his state of being stunned. If Ichigo knew about his heritage and that it did not come from either of them, who knows what Ichigo will do to them. Would they share the same fate of whatever Ichigo has planned for the soul society?

"Do not worry about that Kisuke Urahara." Ulquiorra said, noticing their expressions which caused them to look at the arrancar. "Ichigo does not hold anything against the two of you. He mentioned it to us sometime ago. Ichigo's quarrel is only with the thirteen court guard squads."

The soul reapers also listened to this intently. They were rather surprised at learning how powerful Ichigo really was as even they had no idea about it. In fact, the only ones who were aware of Ichigo's heritage was Kisuke, Aizen, Yoruichi, Tessai and Isshin. At this point, the captains along with the fullbringers cringed even more as they just realized how screwed they really are and it only became worse when Ulquiorra mentioned that Ichigo now regarded them as his enemies

"Regardless of that, what is this anyway?" Starrk said, holding up the bow that was still in his hand. The bow was blue in color and it looked like it was the blade of a katana however, it was not sharp. Near both ends were three protrusions that looked like spikes while it's string was so thin it could barely be seen

"Is that what I think it is?" Bazz B said as he moved closer to get a good look

"Yeah. It's the Eiszapfen Seelenbogen." Liltotto said, realizing that this was from one of the quincy legends

"What's that?" Starrk asked

"It is a legendary bow wielded by the most lethal assassin in quincy history. Whoever this assassin was is unknown even now. All that is known is that the assassin only took orders from Yhwach himself and that he was responsible for killing five of the first thirteen captains during the war one thousand years ago. This is one of the most powerful weapon in quincy history, second only to Yhwach's own weapons." Liltotto explained

"So what powers does it have?" Lilynette asked

"None actually." Bambietta said which confused the arrancars. "Allow me to explain. Us quincies fight using the ambient reishi in the immediate vicinity. The higher the quality of reishi, the better our weapons are and our ability to fight. However, this does not apply to our individual powers."

"Then that means you fight better here or in hueco mundo than you would in the world of the living?" Harribel asked

"Yes. However, this bow is unique. Instead of relying on the ambient reishi for its power, this one uses the spirit energy of whoever is wielding it instead. This means that regardless if the wielder was in place not optimal for a quincy, for as long the wielder was powerful, it's firepower would reflect that." Candice explained

"But this was lost wasn't it? After Ichibe Hyosube managed to kill the assassin?" Cang Du pointed out

"I think so. Maybe Hyosube took it with him and kept it all this time and when Ichigo was in the palace, he decided to retrieve it for himself." Bambietta pondered

Isshin narrowed his eyes at this discussion along with Kisuke and Aizen as for some reason, Ichigo appeared to know of his heritage. While the earlier discussion about the notable threats implied it, this one confirmed it. They were all brought out of there thoughts when Bazz B suddenly yelled

"Look out!" Bazz B yelled as black flames were heading their way

Everyone with the exception of the arrancars immediately took cover. It didn't take long for the flames to reach them but to their surprise, not everyone was injured. The ones that came from hueco mundo, as well as the ones from the world of the living minus the visored were all unaffected by the flames while the other quincies were slightly scorched. The same could not be said for the soul reapers as they really felt that attack and it nearly burned them. The fullbringers on the other hand were burned slightly more than the quincies but significantly less than the soul reaperss. Right now, it became obvious to Ginjo that even he was screwed. To everyone's surprise Aizen was also completely unharmed from it

"What? How come we weren't harmed by it?" Bambietta asked in confusion

"It's one of the unique qualities of Ichigo's zanpakuto." Nel answered

"Qualities?" Candice asked

"Yes. The only ones who will be harmed from the techniques of Ichigo's zanpakuto are those that he considers as his enemy." Harribel said

Upon hearing this, the soul reapers and fullbringers were filled with fear, which was quite understandable as well as confusion. The captains were well aware of why Ichigo now considers them as his enemy and now, every single soul reaper was gonna pay the price for a poor decision that they made. This same attack however, also finally calmed Kisuke, Yoruichi, Tessai and Isshin down as now they knew that at least they were not screwed

Meanwhile, Yhwach and Ichigo just crossed swords again after the emperor redirected the flames. Yhwach was surprised at Ichigo reaction as he just let them flames head towards the observers but paid it no more attention. This boy was gonna get killed if he got in his way. Yhwach pushed Ichigo away and tried to cut him down but Ichigo merely blocked it and kicked the quincy emperor back and they soon got back into glaring at each other. Yhwach was now growing interested at what the most powerful notable threat was capable of. He is aware of how to avoid the almighty and is even aware of how to turn its abilities against its user. Yhwach was absolutely not used to this kind of battles as usually, he would just use the almighty to get rid of the powers of anyone in his way. However, with Ichigo, it's not that simple as it is impossible to prepare for every single possibility all at once

Yhwach ultimately decided to pay it no heed. If the almighty is not gonna be of that much use, then just fight him the old fashioned way. It is that simple. "Don't you think that was rather cold?" Yhwach asked

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked while moving back

"You." Yhwach answered which caused Ichigo to raise his eyebrow in confusion. "Don't you think it was cold of you to leave your former allies to get slaughtered?"

"Not really. After all, you said it yourself. They're my former allies." Ichigo said before swinging his khyber knife, unleashing what appeared to be a getsuga tensho

"Getsuga tensho huh?" Yhwach said before just splitting the attack in two

The two combatants then locked blades once more before pushing each other way. The fight became more and more intense as Ichigo has had enough holding back. Whenever Ichigo would clash with Yhwach, he wouldn't stop as he would quickly resort to using his legs to go for a cheap kick. Yhwach noticed this as well and it was making his life difficult due to how ruthless Ichigo was now fighting. The two continued their clashing a bit more and Ichigo kept the momentum up. Whenever Yhwach would push him away, Ichigo would immediately either throw one of his swords or go for a kick. Suffice to say this was turning into a very rough battle. That's not even counting the random flames or getsugas Ichigo was recklessly throwing around, obviously not caring who would get it. Yhwach finally figured out why as the arrancars and his quincy allies cannot be harmed by his technique. At the very least, Yhwach was gaining a bit of understanding of his opponent's power but it was not enough for him to ruin it with the almighty, yet and they continued to clash

Deciding on trying something else, Yhwach reached into his pocket and grabbed a familiar object. "Bankai, Zanka no Tachi." he said and the medallion transformed into a scorched katana. Yhwach then immediately flashed towards Ichigo in an attempt to cut him in two

This did not faze Ichigo as he simply thrusted his trench knife to the ground before grabbing the scorched bankai with his bare hand, getting everyone's attention from their little chitchat and causing them to widen their eyes

Meanwhile, with the observers

"Hey, do you think Ichigo will win this?" Starrk asked, now growing worried himself

"Hard to say but at this point, Ichigo has the upper hand." Bambietta answered

"What makes you say that?" Nel asked, being worried herself

"Yhwach is the son of the soul king. Due to that status, he enjoys a level of dominance matched by only a very few handful individuals. However, now he faces someone who is not only powerful enough to rival him, but also one who is aware of how his ability works." Bambietta pointed out. "Besides, look at Ichigo's fighting style. It's now more ruthless than it ever was."

"You know Bambi, I actually take back when I criticized you for killing hunks after sleeping with them. That habit actually turned out quite useful now." Liltotto said which made nearly all eyes go to Bambietta, who didn't particularly care about it

Bambietta on the other hand, merely smirked at that statement before giving her response. "Sorry to disappoint but I had no hand in what Ichigo is doing now. In fact, it was the other way around. Ichigo was the one who convinced me to turn against the wandenreich." she said and got curious looks from her fellow quincies. She then explained the situation but decided to leave the part about Ichigo's inner spirits out

"Wait, so Ichigo was aware of us this whole time?" Meninas asked in surprise

"Yes. Ichigo has been preparing for this war long before it even began, or should I say continued." surprisingly, it was Ulquiorra who confirmed it. "I was rather curious as to why he didn't just barge into silbern once he finished training."

"Probably to let the soul reapers get slaughtered." Bambietta pondered

"Wait, train? Now that you mentioned it, who in the hell trained Ichigo? His fighting style is completely different from what it was before." Candice pointed out and she got knowing looks from her friend and the arrancars. "You don't mean...?"

"Yes. The one who trained Ichigo, was none other than the hollow that lives inside him, his zanpakuto, Zangetsu." Harribel answered

This caused everyone's eyes to widen in shock. It was unheard of for a zanpakuto to be a hollow at the same time. Their discussion was interrupted once more when they heard Yhwach release someone's bankai. Their shock got even greater when Ichigo caught the blade with his bare hand. Even Aizen was surprised at this as he too was a victim of that move, although it was probably karma as he did stop Ichigo's sword twice with only his bare hands

Yhwach was surprised at how Ichigo managed to catch Yamamoto's bankai but soon got his answer when he looked at his hand. There were blue grid patterns all over it, indicating that Ichigo has used and already mastered blut vene. Yhwach was given no time to be shocked as Ichigo tried to cut him down with his khyber knife while his other hand on the bankai was holding him close. He was forced to let go of the scorched bankai in order to avoid getting wounded and fell back. To everyone's surprise though, Ichigo completely crushed Yamamoto's bankai with a simple and it dropped to the ground with the hilt and top half of the blade intact but the area where he grabbed it was now shattered

"Impressive Ichigo Kurosaki. It has been a long time since anyone has forced me to fight like this and it is the first time I have seen anyone do that to that man's bankai." Yhwach complimented as he drew his own sword back and they locked swords once more

Ichigo merely kept his silence at this and kicked Yhwach away

"Now then, I have a proposal for you." Yhwach said and got a raised eye from the hybrid. "Join me and I will bring your mother back to life, just the way you remember her."

Ichigo however was not having any of this and he surprised everyone when he immediately responded without a second thought. "Thanks but no thanks. As much as I would love seeing my mother again..." he trailed off before suddenly his khyber knife turned white while at the same time, his hair grew out to reach his waist, two white horns sprouted from the sides of his head and were pointing forward. Beneath his eyes were four thin black lines, two below each one appeared and were reaching the bottom of his face. On his forehead were some strange markings. On each side appeared to be marks of a claw going downwards diagonally towards the eyes while at the center, four small triangle shaped marks appeared in the shape of a dorsal fin. They were scattered in different areas on his face and were pointing at different angles. When put together it almost looks like a shuriken. One right above his nose, two slightly to the sides opposite of the claw marks and one on the upper forehead. Ichigo's eyes however also changed. They were now black in color with golden irises. His skin also turned a bit pale and his fingers turned into claws. "I would rather her not see what I'm about to do to you." he finished, now in a warped voice similar to Zangetsu's own before slashing his khyber knife to his side, creating a fissure that reached quite a distance. Those who have personally met Zangetsu grew extremely concerned as Ichigo's appearance now mimicked his own minus the markings on his head

Yhwach immediately summoned his broadsword, the very same one he used to execute Yamamoto as he knew that shit was about to get real and he decided to dual wield it along with his usual sword. And it was the right choice as Ichigo was now faster and his strikes more vicious than ever. It didn't help that Ichigo was not above making cheap tricks to get a shot which put Yhwach on his toes. Yhwach wanted to just destroy Ichigo's swords then and there but decided that was a bad idea so he decided to save that for the moment Ichigo would release his bankai

The battle was going nowhere as it was all just Ichigo doing cheap moves such as throwing one of his swords like he would earlier to distract Yhwach before going for a cut which he would barely manage to parry. This time however, Ichigo was even more ruthless as he would just grab Yhwach's sword with his hands to stop it instead of blocking it with his own sword. After a while of fighting, the two ended up locking swords but this time, Ichigo kicked him right on his feet, causing Yhwach to lose his balance and fall. Not giving him a chance to recover, Ichigo quickly attempted to thrust his khyber knife directly into Yhwach's head but he managed to slip away by rolling on the ground. When Yhwach got up, Ichigo was already on another offensive in an attempted to kill him with his sword covered in flames. Not having any other choice, Yhwach used his blut vene anhaben, creating a massive forcefield that stopped the flames in his tracks. This move did shock Ichigo a bit and Yhwach was quick to take advantage as this time, Ichigo was forced on the defensive. Soon enough, Yhwach managed to put Ichigo in a tough spot when he stepped on one of Ichigo's swords to force it on the ground and used his broadsword to slice off Ichigo's left arm before shoving him right into a pile of rubble

This surprised everyone and thought that the battle was over. Isshin immediately tried to go to his son's aid but Aizen put a hand on his shoulder, preventing him from doing so

"Not yet Isshin. This battle is far from over." Aizen said reassuringly, much to everyone's surprise

Yhwach however, decided to use this chance to head back to the royal palace. "So much for that." he said and tried to launch himself towards the palace. When he did manage to launch himself, black chains suddenly erupted from the ground and forced him back down, much to his shock

"Come now, where do you think you're going?" Ichigo said as he walked out of the rubble with his arm regenerating. He then put out that same, regenerated arm and his sword was summoned back to him

"You are a persistent one aren't you Ichigo Kurosaki." Yhwach commented

Ichigo didn't bother to responded and simply put both of his swords together. It then transformed into what appeared to be a broadsword with twisted pointy parts all over its blade. It's guard looked like a face or a skull on it and it had four prongs. Two of which were extending from the head of the skull outwards and pointing away from the blade while the other two were faced the opposite direction and came from the bottom part of the skull. At the end of the grip were two chains, one longer than the other hanging from it. The blade part was white in color while the skull itself was gray. Everything else was black. Usually, all of the sword except the skull would be black but since Ichigo was in his hollowfied state, part of it turned white

Yhwach noticed the spike in Ichigo's spiritual pressure when his sword transformed and realized that this was his bankai. It was rather surprising to see someone release their bankai without even so much as muttering a word. However, Yhwach prepared for this moment and within seconds, Ichigo's blade shattered, which did not go unnoticed

"That was anti climactic. Can't a guy release his bankai in peace around here?" Ichigo whined nonchalantly much to everyone's surprise. They wanted to join in on the fight now but knew the couldn't

"What will you do now Ichigo Kurosaki? You don't seriously expect to fight me with a broken sword." Yhwach said, he too was confused about Ichigo's behavior. He used the almighty again to see why but there were too many possibilites with each and every one being a viable event to what Ichigo would do

"Perhaps. But..." Ichigo said and was suddenly behind Yhwach and inflicted a minor wound on his upper shoulder with his sword now completely fixed

Yhwach was surprised at this as he couldn't even see Ichigo's movements but it appeared his opponent got cocky and didn't go for the kill. 'What? Why didn't he just kill me? How did his sword get fixed? And that move... It wasn't a flash step.' he wondered before firing a few large arrows at Ichigo, all of which missed their target

Ichigo however, was busy flashing from one spot to another, dodging the arrows. This confused Yhwach even more as first, how was his sword back in one piece and second, how come now he can see his movements this time. These questions were running through his mind but he had no time to think as Ichigo was suddenly in front, attempting to bisect him

Yhwach managed to parry this strike and now he had the advantage. Ichigo only had one sword and Yhwach had two. Ichigo managed to push Yhwach back and fired a cero from his horns. His target managed to dodge this by moving to the side. Ichigo followed his movements and the cero left behind a trail of destruction far behind, killing other soul reapers who were watching the fight from a different area. Ichigo was forced to stop the cero when Yhwach flashed behind him and attacked. Ichigo dodged this by doing a somersault and immediately kicking Yhwach, forcing him back. This process of them trying to kill each other went on for a while until eventually

"Enough." Ichigo said and pushed Yhwach once more before immediately flashing behind him. He used the same technique as to when he released his bankai to conceal his movements fired a massive getsuga jujishou at his opponent. The blast was so large that it completely bifurcated Yhwach in two and created another fissure whose size dwarfed the last one he made

Everyone were in shock at the display of power but some, namely the ones from hueco mundo, were relieved that it was all over, or so they thought

Ichigo just stood there, observing the body of his fallen enemy. He knew something was up but he never bothered to do anything. The moment he turned around, darkness suddenly erupted from Yhwach's fallen corpse and it completely devoured Ichigo. This darkness was different from a regular darkness as even Ichigo's bankai cannot negate it

"Did you think... that an attack of that caliber... would be enough to kill me, Ichigo Kurosaki?!" Yhwach yelled as the darkness started to form back into his body. "I am the A, 'the almighty'. None of your attacks will be able to kill me."

"Ichigo!" Nel said and drew her sword before attempting to move towards the two. Starrk however, put a hand on her shoulder which made her stop

"Don't Nel. Something's off. It's almost as if Ichigo wanted this to happen." Starrk pointed out, much to everyone's worry

"Who said anything about killing you?" a voice asked, much to Yhwach's shock as Ichigo was walking towards him from behind. "You really should be more mindful of who you're trying to kill."

"What?" Yhwach asked and looked at what he had devoured. To his surprise and the soul reaper's horror, it was Yamamoto. "What? How? I destroyed his body."

"That is one my powers. For as long as a dead person's reishi remains in the air, I can reanimate their bodies as many times as I want, even if the body was completely destroyed." Ichigo answered before he thrusted his blade to the ground, releasing black tendrils to scatter to different directions. Soon, many of the dead were suddenly reanimated although their bodies were noticeably darker than they normally were. As Nodt, Mask de Masculine, Unohana and Sajin among others were all reanimated before suddenly, it appeared that the darkness from them was sucked out and they vanished into thin air. "You see." Ichigo said

"Impressive trick. But what will you do now? You're strongest attack failed to kill me. You have already lost." Yhwach said cockily

"Like I mentioned, who said anything about killing you?" Ichigo repeated, much to everyone's shock. The answer as to why became clear as a silver arrow suddenly pierced Yhwach from behind, causing the darkness around him to dissipate and revert back to his usual form

"That's..." Yhwach said in shock as he lost all of his powers and looked behind him and saw Uryu

"The still silver arrow. When that arrow makes contact with the one who conducted the auswahlen, it will stop his powers for just an instant." Uryu said before looking at Ichigo. "NOW ICHIGO!" however, it fell on deaf ears as Ichigo just stood there, waiting

What nobody noticed though is that an eye on each side of Ichigo's blade was now glowing red

Yhwach soon started to laugh as he thought he still won. "Hahaha so what if you stopped my powers for just an instant?!" he said arrogantly before he realized something. A few minutes has already passed and his powers still did not return to him. 'What?' he asked in horror as the extra pupils in his eyes were now gone too

"What's wrong, your majesty?" Ichigo said in a very mocking voice. "I already made my move and Uryu made his. It's time for you to make yours." he said with a noticeable grin

This made everyone wonder as to what Ichigo was doing. Even Uryu was now worried that Ichigo merely threw away the chance to finish Yhwach off. One thing that got them confused though was that there were now red patterns on Yhwach's body visible on his head and everyone knew this wasn't a blut arterie as it wasn't a grid pattern. It was almost some sort of markings of a curse. It was also at this moment that Ryuken arrived and joined with Isshin. However, they soon got their answer

"Well, if you won't make you're move..." Ichigo trailed off before flashing right in front of Yhwach. "You'll die." he said venomously before kicking up into the air. Yhwach wasn't even sent flying as Ichigo grabbed his leg and slammed him into the ground before throwing him into a pile of rubble. This didn't last long as Ichigo flashed and stepped on his his head, smashing him to the ground, again. It didn't stop there as Ichigo brutally ripped off one of Yhwach's legs before thrashing him around again. Ichigo threw him around once more before grabbing him by the neck and throwing him a good distance away right into a destroyed building. He then charged another cero between his horns but this time, it had lightnings that were a darker shade of red than the cero itself. It was a gran rey cero. It didn't take long for Ichigo to discharge the cero and it created a massive explosion, reaching all the way into the sky and creating a nice contrast with the swirling darkness above them

Everyone watched in curiosity what happened when Yhwach just stopped moving. This curiosity turned into horror as Ichigo completely used Yhwach as a ragdoll and even Uryu was horrified. It didn't stop there as Ichigo charged up a gran rey cero and created a massive wind and explosion. Surprisingly, even Aizen was concerned at what Ichigo was doing and he started to put everything together and ultimately realized the reason as to why Ichigo acted like he did

"Get down!" Starrk yelled as he protected Lilynette from the massive wind. The others also did the same. Just when it seemed that they were all gonna be blown away, the wind died down along with the explosion, revealing a scorched and badly beaten and bleeding Yhwach still standing although he used his arms to support his lack of a leg

"What? He's still alive after all that?!" Candice asked in shock

"Has Ichigo...?" Nel asked in worry

"It appears so. Ichigo has finally succumed to all the hate he felt and has kept hidden for a few months now." Harribel pointed out, much to the horror of everyone, especially Isshin

"You're still alive huh? Good." Ichigo asked the almost half dead Yhwach. "Let me ask you something. Here you are, standing before someone trying to kill you. You try to fight back only to have your powers ripped away from you. Does that remind you of anything?"

Isshin, Kisuke, Ryuken widened their eyes at this as they knew exactly what that scenario was

"So that's what Ichigo's goal was all along." Ulquiorra said

"What do you mean by that?" Nel asked

"He wanted Yhwach to experience what his mother did when Grandfisher killed her so he waited all this time to recreate the circumstances around her death." Ulquiorra answered. The quincies wondered what he meant but they soon realized that the reason Ichigo's mother died was because she got her powers stolen the instant before a hollow attack while the soul reapers had absolutely no idea what this was about

Yhwach was still barely living. His powers were now gone. The only thing he had left were the basic quincy abilities to which Ichigo made sure he wouldn't be able to use any. When Ichigo asked him the question, he finally realized what this was all about. "I see. So all of this, was about revenge for your mother's death?" he asked very weakly but Ichigo still managed to hear

"Yes. That is the power of my bankai, Tenfutsu Zangetsu Eihan. Anyone or anything that my sword comes in contact will have a curse inflicted upon them and at any moment of my choosing, the curse will suspend that person's time until I choose to lift it." Ichigo answered and Yhwach immediately realized what that meant. The still silver arrow took his powers only for an instant but Ichigo's curse made that effect last indefinitely. "You really should have been more careful. You made your fatal mistake when you chose to stop collecting data right before you sent Bambietta to karakura town. If you had simply continued to gather information then you would have realized that someone had been hunting down these worthless soul reapers over the last few months. However, you did not and I know how your almighty works Yhwach. The only way to overcome it, is to use the endless amounts of possibilities against it. Why do you think I didn't use all my techniques? Because that would keep you guessing on which possibility was gonna happen next." he said almost scoldingly

Yhwach panted for air as he was desperately trying to cling to the life, the small amount of life left in him. "Are you... really... Ichigo Kurosaki? You're... different from... what he was." he barely managed to point out

"Yeah it's the same me. Just that, many months ago, someone once told me that I've been fighting my battles out of a sense of misplaced responsibility. Guess what, he was right all along. Hatred is a strong motivator." he answered which widened everyone's eyes, especially Aizen. The kid who defeated him actually took advice from him. "Now then..." Ichigo trailed off as he put out his right hand, causing his sword to come sailing towards him. "Farewell..." he said and now, all the eyes of the skull on his sword started glowing and it was now emitting a black, ominous aura. "Your majesty." he finished and threw his sword

_Flashback_

_A few minutes ago in the royal palace, right when Ichigo grabbed the Eiszapfen Seelenbogen_

_'Hey, I've been wondering. If I use my bankai, will you two be alright? More importantly, would the thing that would happen to the other quincies happen to me as well?'_

_"__Do not worry about that. We will be alright__."_

_'What makes you so sure?'_

_**"Because only it will be gone. However, the part of it that was yours was destroyed long ago. Yes you still have its powers but his essence inside you has basically been destroyed the moment you've been conceived."**_

_**"**__Exactly. Only the other quincies will be faced with that dilemma however, you can remove it from them if you kill Yhwach using your bankai__."_

_'That's good to know.' Ichigo said before going to the defeated Ichibe_

**Present Time**

Ichigo's sword hit Yhwach directly on the center of his chest. However, instead of being knocked back from the recoil, he instead came to a sharp stop midway. Ichigo then put his hand out again and the sword retracted from Yhwach's body and came sailing back to him. Just a few seconds after, Yhwach's body started to turn pitch black starting from where the sword was and it eventually devoured him. The instand Yhwach was covered in darkness, he immediately began to fade away into nothingness while all the quincies felt something odd the moment he completely vanished

"It's over, isn't it?" Uryu said, paying no heed to the odd feeling he got

"Not just yet." Ichigo answered and before Uryu could ask, more of the darkness suddenly began to swirl around Ichigo's blade until he thrusted it into the ground with both hands. Six lines then went to different directions coming from the blade. These lines however, were different from when Ichigo raised the dead as they were not random tendrils but were neat lines. Just minutes later, six pillars of pure dark energy erupted from the ground at the corners of the seireitei, forming a complete circle with equal distance between each one

This made everyone panic as one of the pillars was not too far away from them. Before they could react, a seventh pillar, much thinner than the rest appeared at the center of the first six. After a couple minutes of charging up, dark energy soon swirled around the final pillar before it created a massive explosion, destroying everything within the first six pillars

When the explosion died down, the seireitei was completely destroyed while everyone, even the soul reapers and fullbringers, were unharmed. They were all horrified at what Ichigo had just done as many of the soul reapers died at his hand

* * *

**The battle of the century. Now, before you go complaining at how Ichigo was equal to Yhwach, here is my basis. In the canon, Yhwach considered Ichigo's bankai to be so powerful that even after absorbing the soul king, he had to destroy it asap. This was proven when Ichigo used a getsuga tensho to cut down Yhwach with a little help from Aizen. However, since Yhwach has not absorbed the soul king this time around, that means that he and Ichigo are more or less equals since in the canon, Ichigo never fully mastered his powers as shown when he needed Yhwach to nudge his hollowfication and I doubt the royal guard would even know how to teach quincy techniques while this time, he already mastered all of it. As for Ichigo's behavior, that will be explained in the next chapter**

**I also forgot to explain something in the last chapter since I uploaded that before I had to go somewhere. I decided to make those random abilities of the royal guard as the powers of their zanpakuto because why not**

**Yeah, I decided to add some little chitchat fillers because I felt that it would be completely boring. Now, if you're wondering if Ichigo is the most powerful person in existence. He's not**

**Translations:**

**German:**

**Seelenbindung - Soulbind**

**Eiszapfen Seelenbogen - Icicle Soul Bow**

**Japanese:**

**Tenfutsu Zangetsu Eihan - Heaven's Wrath Slaying Moon Shadow's Judgment**

**Yeah that's right. I suck at coming up with names**


	46. Chapter 45

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Forty Five - Shadows of Hatred**

It was finally over. Yhwach was gone however, many soul reapers were also killed and the seireitei has been reduced to nothing but rubble at the hands of who the soul reapers thought to be their ally, Ichigo Kurosaki. Only a few hundred soul reapers survived this war. In fact, the total number was not more than five hundred

"Now, it's over." Ichigo said, still in his warped voice, just after the explosion from this technique annihilated the seireitei

"What the...? Why did you do that Ichigo?" Uryu demanded to know as he slowly got up

"What? I wanted to destroy silbern." Ichigo responded before most of his hair suddenly got cut off and disappeared, his claws returning to normal, the horns disappearing and the markings gone. The blade part of his sword also reverted back to being pure black in color, indicating that he dropped his hollowfication. Ichigo however, only received a curious stare from his friend as it was obvious that he wasn't buying it. "Follow me. I'll explain everything." Ichigo said while dropping his bankai before flashing away. Uryu was in shock at how fast Ichigo moved. He couldn't even keep track of him, just like the others

"What? We're alive?" Meninas asked in a panic

"Seems like we're not the only ones." Liltotto said as she looked at the soul reapers, who got down for obvious reasons along with everyone else, even the arrancars

"What the hell was Ichigo thinking?" Renji complained

The captains however, kept their silence as the time has come for a reckoning

"Believe me that's what I wanna know." Yoruichi added before she suddenly yelped when Ichigo flashed behind her

"That's because you were close to one of the pillars." Ichigo said, announcing his arrival and answering the question on everyone's mind. "Contrary to what one would normally think, the first six pillars actually prevents anyone standing close to it from being affected by the explosion."

"Ichigo?" Isshin asked uncertainly

"It's me dad. I'm really here." Ichigo answered rather calmly, which unnerved everyone, even Aizen. "How ironic. Last time, it was you who appeared out of nowhere and revealed yourself to me. Now our roles have been switched." he commented

"Look, Ichigo. I wanted to..." Isshin tried to explain his actions

"Don't worry about it dad." Ichigo said reassuringly, cutting his father off. "I'm not mad that you kept the truth about mom and me hidden. In fact, I think you actually made the right choice back then. You were just doing what a parent would do."

"Huh?" Isshin asked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You were just doing what a parent should be doing dad. That regardless of the consequences, you would keep your child away from harm. Even if your the kind of parent that kicks your son into a wall as a form of greeting." Ichigo said with a smile, causing his father to be relieved. "I'm not gonna hold that against you, nor Kisuke, nor Aizen for that matter."

This caused Aizen to raise his eye in curiosity. Bambietta and Candice along with everyone else also grew curious as they didn't know what Ichigo was talking about while the arrancars were already aware

"What do you mean by that? I assume you know the hand I had about you then?" Aizen asked

"Yeah I do know about it." Ichigo answered

"Then you're not upset about it? Why is that?" Aizen asked again

"Let me ask you something Aizen. Can you do anything to change what happened?" Ichigo pointed out. This merely caused Aizen to remain quiet, indicating that he wanted Ichigo to continue. "You know the answer. There is no power that exists that allows you to change the past, so there is no point getting upset about it. Regardless of how many people I kill or how many cities I burn, at the end of the day, I'm still just the result when one of your experiments didn't go how you wanted it to. So I might as well just live with it and move forward."

Some of them actually wanted to ask at how Ichigo instantly denied the offer of having his mother back however, it seems that Ichigo has already given the answer even though the question wasn't even asked

"Do you really think so lowly of yourself, Ichigo?" surprisingly it was Ryuken who asked this and not Kisuke or Isshin

"Are you really gonna deny that if it wasn't for that hollow, mom would have met dad?" Ichigo retorted and it made Ryuken shut up as he did have a point. "There you go."

"Seems you have matured since the last time we met, Ichigo Kurosaki." Aizen said with a smile

This caused a very tense silence. Rukia and Renji wanted to demand what Ichigo was doing but they couldn't. His presence was insinuating a very murderous aura directed at them. The other soul reapers also felt this as well and this alone made whatever words they wanted to speak get stuck in their throat

"Anyway, Ichigo, catch." Starrk said after a few minutes of silence, tossing the bow back to him

Ichigo caught the bow and just looked at it, as if studying it for a bit

"So, what did you want that for Ichigo?" Nel asked

"No reason I guess. I just saw this in the royal palace's vault. Might as well use it since it has just been rotting away." Ichigo answered

"Do you even know how to use a bow?" Ulquiorra asked

"Nope but I can learn how to use one." Ichigo said before pointing the bow in one direction and pulling the string. An arrow soon appeared and Ichigo shot it, barely missing one of the random soul reaper survivor in its trajectory. "Oops. I missed." he said with a grin, much to the soul reaper's horror before putting it on his back

"Hey, did you do something to us Ichigo?" Candice asked curiously

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked

"Well, ever since you did whatever you did to Yhwach, I've had this strange feeling like something was gone." Candice said

"Yeah. I thought I was going crazy when I felt that." Bambietta added with the other quincies giving their agreements

"The power of my bankai does not kill anyone. It completely removes their existence and everything else that belongs to my victim. The only thing that would remain of said person, is the memories they left behind whether they're good or bad." Ichigo answered

This confused the quincies as to what Ichigo meant. Even Uryu and Ryuken had no idea what he was talking about. Then Liltotto's eyes suddenly widened as she realized what he meant

"So that means you removed Yhwach's blood that flows in every quincy?" Liltotto asked in surprise, causing every quincy to share the feeling

"Yes I did. Even if I didn't want to, it would happen. That's just how my bankai works." Ichigo answered

"Does that mean the powers Yhwach took would be gone forever then?" Bazz B asked in an angry tone

"I take it you quincies wanna die then?" Ichigo asked which confused the quincies

"What are you talking about Ichigo?" Bambietta asked in worry

"As you know, Yhwach's blood flows through every quincy. However, while this blood is what allows the quincy to have powers, or even spirit energy in the first place, it is also very lethal. This very same blood needs to be sustained and Yhwach's own existence is what kept it sustained. Since Yhwach is gone, for good this time, his blood that flows through every quincy will have nothing to sustain it and will instead use its host's spirit energy, slowly draining it until the quincy is reduced to a human. At that point, it will instead feast on the quincy's life force, slowly killing the host. I guess you could say that Yhwach's blood becomes a parasite without its source being alive. The fact that the sternritters not only have Yhwach's blood in them already but also drank his blood to get your powers only makes this much more lethal and it is also impossible to remove. Naturally this includes Uryu and his father." Ichigo explained, much to their shock as none of them knew about this. "As about the powers taken by the auswahlen, it simply returned to its original owner which is Yhwach, however, since Yhwach is gone, it will return to whoever wielded it last. Although training to get stronger with it is probably gonna be more dificult this time around."

This shocked the quincies to their core, even Uryu and Ryuken. This kid who was super naive the last time they knew about him now knows many secrets and has already acted accordingly

"What about you Ichigo? Wouldn't that affect you as well?" Nel asked, breaking the silence

"No. Mine was destroyed long ago since I am part hollow as well." Ichigo answered

"How does that even work? If it was destroyed then you shouldn't have any quincy powers at all." Lilynette pointed out

"On first glance, yes that would be true. However, Yhwach's blood does not necessarily need to be in the quincy. One slight exposure is all it takes for one to have quincy powers albeit very weak while continued exposure makes the powers grow stronger. Mine was destroyed when I was conceived due to the hollow within me but I had already been exposed to it and from what I was told, Zangetsu is the one sustained my quincy powers and it was because of his power that it's much similar to a zanpakuto. That's probably why my soul reaper and hollow powers are a lot more dominant than my quincy is or why Zangetsu has stronger influence over me when compared to him." Ichigo reasoned thoughtfully

"Well, that is a good point. But that still begs the question, what about regular humans? If they get exposed to his blood, would they become quincies as well?" Ryuken asked

"No. The first quincies were created when Yhwach let a bunch of people drink his blood in the same way the sternritters did. His blood, which was in the ones who drank it, was then passed down through their children. In other words, the only way to get quincy powers, is either to be born with this blood or to have it directly injected inside you by drinking it or whatever. Just touching it or something won't turn one into a quincy." Ichigo answered

"That makes sense, I guess." Uryu said thoughtfully before pointing out something important. "If you've been aware of the wandenreich, then how come you chose not to tell anyone?"

"Are you really gonna be a hypocrite now?" Ichigo quickly asked back, earning a curious look from his friend. "Don't try to kid me Uryu. I know that you were aware of Yhwach as well."

"I was but I couldn't say anything. The only way to kill Yhwach was from within. FIghting him head on was not gonna end well." Uryu said in his defense. "There's my reason. What's yours?"

"The almighty." Ichigo simply answered before looking at the swirling vortex of darkness from his technique. "It is Yhwach's ability and it allows him to see every possible event that would happen in the future. That is the reason I layed low. That power has no blindspot at all. The blindspot only exists in its user. By making him think that I was not a threat, he had no reason to see if anything in the future would concern me and it worked perfectly."

Everyone was shocked at this revelation. The quincies have heard about the almighty before but they never thought it was true. The ability to see the future just seemed impossible and beyond comprehension

The soul reapers still chose to maintain their silence despite their shock of the recent revelations. While the lieutenants were rather confused about this how Ichigo knew all this, the captains were praying to the gods that Ichigo would just forget about it

"So that means you saved us then? Why?" Nanana asked in a rather arrogant tone, going back to something said earlier

"Want me to kill you instead?" Ichigo retorted

"Hah! Don't get too arrogant Ichigo Kurosaki. Just because you killed Yhwach doesn't mean you're a hero or something. To be honest, I'm surprised you actually had the balls to..." Nanana retorted but was cut off

While Nanana was busy being arrogant about what Ichigo did, Ichigo was growing more and more pissed off. His mood was already very bad due to being in this place and someone being arrogant was making it worse

Ichigo has had enough of Nanana being a douchebag and suddenly stabbed right in the chest, which horrified Isshin once more while his allies just observed with an indifferent look. He then decided to cut Nanana cleanly in two. "Anyone else care to doubt me?" he said with the hollow marks on his face reappearing and eyes turning black although the horns didn't come out

"How dare you?!" Robert yelled as he watched his comrade get murdered. He tried to attack Ichigo but unfortunately for him, Ichigo merely grabbed him by the throat and shoving him into the ground before slicing his head off and crushing it underfoot

"Who's next?" Ichigo asked in his hollowfied voice, still no horns

Ichigo's allies still stood there with an indifferent look, obviously not caring about what just happened while his father stood there dumbfounded and horrified at what his son had become. The soul reapers were horrified as well and Byakuya decided he had enough of keeping his silence

"Ichigo Kurosaki are you the one who killed Marechiyo Omaeda?" Byakuya accused him

"Am I supposed to know who in the hell that is?" Ichigo quickly retorted, voice now back to normal and hollow marks disappeared

"He was the lieutenant of squad two. A few months ago, we were on a mission to kill Kugo Ginjo when we were ambushed." Byakuya answered with narrowed eyes

"And all that guy did was take cheap shots at Tsukishima because he's too stupid to do anything right." Ichigo responded which shocked everyone as that basically admitted that he's the one who did it. "To be honest, I was trying to kill you and Soi Fon that day but Kisuke has perfect timing so I had to retreat. What made it even more annoying is that I couldn't even reveal too much of my powers because of the wandenreich. Although, I guess it was a good thing Kisuke arrived as it would have aroused the wandenreich's suspicion if someone actually killed a captain." he said thoughtfully

The shock just kept coming and coming. First it was the swirling darkness that appeared and is still above them, then Ichigo revealing himself to still have his powers and him being the exact opposite of who he was before he was presumed to have lost them and now this

"Ichigo, why did you do that?" Yoruichi asked. She was angry that Ichigo just turned on the soul society like that however, she knew the kid. He wouldn't do anything without good reason

"Well, did you know that during the whole time I was unconscious the captains didn't have a single meeting?" Ichigo asked

"Yeah. Why?" Yoruichi asked again and this time, the captains' blood run cold and they lost a bit of color out of fear

"The captains had their first meeting a few days after we went back to the world of the living. Do you know what their first discussion was?" Ichigo trailed off and merely received curious looks from everyone except his allies and Aizen. "Byakuya actually wanted the visored back into the soul society and the way he said it, he didn't care if they wanted to or not. The second thing they talked about was actually quite interesting. The bastards actually wanted to use me as bait to draw a fish out. And try to guess who that fish is."

This widened the eyes of everyone who didn't know about this, including the lieutenants and especially Rukia

"Wait... Do you mean that...?" Kisuke asked after getting over his shock

"That's right. Those miserable bastards never saw me as an ally to begin with. I was merely a sword to point at their enemies. A bait to lure Ginjo out. These bastards were actually planning to kill me if I chose to ally with Ginjo. They were aware that Ginjo knew about how they spied on him through the combat pass. That was the reason Zangetsu had me destroy it. If Ginjo told me everything, well, they would just kill me regardless." Ichigo answered with a smirk

"You're kidding right?" Uryu asked in shock

"That's not even the half of it. Apparently Mayuri and Byakuya were also told to kill you and Yoruichi although, from the way Mayuri said it, none of the other captains were aware of it." Ichigo said, still smirking, while looking at Kisuke

The other captains also widened their eyes at this as they were not aware about it

"Is this true Mayuri?!" Jushiro asked in surprise

"Shut up Jushiro. The last one to talk about about killing an ally should be you considering how much of a snake you are with that fake gentleman behavior and fast talking tongue of yours." Ichigo said venomously with his eyes now turning to black

"Don't you dare talk about captain Ukitake that way!" Sentaro yelled out before a black spike suddenly pierced him from the ground, creating a large wound on his body. The spike then disappeared starting from the base as Sentaro's body began turning to stone before it fell to the ground and shattered

The soul reapers watched in horror as Ichigo just ruthlessly murdered one of them just for defending his captain

"To be perfectly honest, i got over this a long time ago. My real concern is if you morons would target my sisters or friends and use them as leverage. Considering that you'd stoop so low as to kill your allies when they don't expect it, I don't think that would be too far fetched." Ichigo said venomously to the soul reapers, eyes still hollowfied and his voice now warped with the markings reappearing

"You're serious about this aren't you Ichigo?" Kisuke asked suspiciously

"I am. If you don't believe then you can always have Ginjo confirm it. I mean, the guy did save Kaien and his unit from being slaughtered and the thanks he got was being spied upon." Ichigo said, gesturing to said person

"If that's the case then why'd you kill us?" Tsukishima demanded to know

"Why wouldn't I? You clowns were just the same as the soul society, wanting to use me for your own ends." Ichigo argued back, shutting him up before looking at the soul reapers. "The soul society became my enemy the moment your stupid captains decided on that. I'm rather annoyed at Yhwach since I wanted to kill that worthless old man myself."

"So you're the one who killed Marechiyo?" Soi Fon asked angrily

"I thought that would have been obvious by now." Ichigo answered with a smirk. "You know, I never would have thought that you of all people actually cared about your underlings."

Soi Fon just wanted to beat the hybrid in front of them into kingdom come but she knew better than to act that reckless. The other soul reapers were stunned to the point of silence as they never thought that their captains could be like this

"It's actually quite a shame. I honestly regretted ever considering you people as my allies. I really wished that dad and the others weren't Aizen's enemies. I would have rather fought with him than against him now that you reveal your true colors. Now that I think about it, maybe I released Aizen from his prison too soon. I should have waited until the schuzstaffel killed you all before doing so." Ichigo said thoughtfully

"Are you really Ichigo Kurosaki? The Ichigo Kurosaki that we knew would stand up for what is right." Toshiro said angrily

"And do you really think you're standing up for what's right?" Ichigo quickly retorted. "Considering that you wanted to kill your own allies when they weren't expecting it, do you think that is right? You know the answer and you know that none of you stand up for what's right. You're nothing but a bunch of miserable fools who think you're a bunch of gods or something. You think that you should be the ones in control and if anyone disobeys you, then whoever that may be should be killed. If it wasn't for the circumstances before then I'm sure you would have killed me when I chose to go to hueco mundo after that useless head captain told me to stand down and the only reason you didn't was because you couldn't afford to have the one unaffected by Kyoka Suigetsu become an enemy. But once it was over, you decided to simply get rid of me, isn't that right?"

This made Toshiro shut up as he could not come up with a response. It wasn't surprising as that is exactly how the soul society has acted. Ichigo even had a point at them wanting him to stand down but Aizen made it impossible to do anything against him

"Do you really no longer see us as your friends Ichigo?" Renji demanded to know

"Isn't it obvious? If not then I'll make it clear, the soul society became my enemy ever since that captains meeting. Come now, did you really think it was a coincidence that Kisuke and the others couldn't come here? Or that none of your equipment was working during the first invasion? And who was it that released Aizen from prison or the one that killed central forty six? I was the one responsible for all those events. I knew that zombie girl wouldn't be able to find the equipment in time so I disabled all of it. When the first invasion was over, I thought leaving you idiots leaderless would get you slaughtered but it seems I have underestimated you. I really should have waited until much later before I released Aizen." Ichigo pointed out, much to everyone's shock. "If you're arrogant enough to kill your own allies for no reason, then at the very least you should be able to defend yourselves. How sad is it that even after planning to kill him, Kisuke was still the one that saved your asses."

This lighted up all fuses within Byakuya and he immediately drew his sword. "Scatter..." he said but was cut off when he suddenly suffered a large number of wounds on his body and he slowly fell to the ground, bleeding in his own pool of blood

"Brother!" Rukia yelled out

"You're slow, even when falling." Ichigo coldy said with one of his swords drawn as he was behind Byakuya. Everyone, even Yoruichi was surprised at how fast Ichigo moved. None of them even saw him as Byakuya was suddenly cut up and dropped while even Aizen had a difficult time tracking his movements

"Why you!" Renji said angrily. "Now roar Zabimaru." he said and released his shikai, attempting to attack Ichigo in a fit of rage

"Renji don't..." Rukia said but it was too late

Suddenly, a massive amount of spiritual pressure was exerted and it came from Ichigo. He lowered his spiritual pressure to the point where soul reapers can sense it and it was very intense. It literally brought every single member of the thirteen court guard squads to their knees, even Zaraki. Everyone else were not brought to their knees as the pressure was not directed at them. However, none of them were even able to move a single muscle with the exception of Aizen but he too was intimidated at the massive amount of power this kid has. It was actually the first time AIzen felt intimidated in his whole life

"What's wrong Renji? I thought you wanted a fight." Ichigo said with his smirk now back as his spiritual pressure combined with their injuries not fully healed has knocked out most of the other lieutenants by now. Ichigo noticed this and knew that he was gonna kill them with his spiritual pressure alone and he didn't want them dead, not yet anyways so he lifted the pressure. When he did so, everyone was relieved to be able to move again although they did wonder why Ichigo didn't just kill the soul reapers. "You know what's really sad about this? The quincies literally told you that they were gonna attack in five days and what do you do? You just stood there thinking that your precious walls will save you. When you did decide to prepare for an attack, it was too late. Now, let's see..." he said as he was pondering on who to attack next

"Ichigo enough!" Jushiro yelled out. "If you want to punish anyone it should be me as I'm the one that gave you the pass in the first place!"

"And what good would that do? Even if I kill you, your underlings and comrades would just try to kill me for it so I might as well kill all of you." Ichigo pointed out, venom still clear in his voice. "You know Jushiro. I never once thought that you actually cared about your underlings." he said with a smirk

"What are you talking about Ichigo?" Rukia said as she was the first to regain consciousness among those knocked out

"Oh? I thought you knew what I'm talking about. At how you idiots value something as worthless as titles or honor instead of someone's life. You know exactly what I mean don't you, Rukia?" Ichigo pointed out

"What are you talking about kid?" Kukaku said in an annoyed tone but this one got her interest

"I'm talking about your brother Kukaku. I'm not sure if you were aware but while Kaien was busy fighting the hollow that killed Miyako, this treacherous captain just watched as his lieutenant got killed." Ichigo pointed out, causing the Shibas to widen their eyes

"Is that true Ukitake?!" Ganju demanded to know. While Kukaku was aware of that, Ganju wasn't

"It is true. It's even in the archives. This stupid organization values the most worthless of things instead of what really matters. To be honest, I think I've had enough of you clowns." Ichigo said and darkness swirled around his khyber knife

"Ichigo don't!" Orihime tried to yell out but it fell on deaf ears

Ichigo swung his sword and knocked every single one of the soul reapers along with the visored all across the rubble far away, although the Shibas and fullbringers were not among his victims

"In the end, you still respected someone like Yamamoto. The very same stupid old man whose own arrogance led you to nearly get wiped out by your enemies. Had he considered Yhwach as a genuine threat and not someone he can just step on, you might actually have fared better during the first invasion. It's quite sad don't you think." Ichigo said to himself after throwing away all the soul reapers

"Did you really have to do that Ichigo?" Kisuke asked

"What? They were planning to kill you. Why would you still try to ally yourselves with them?" Ichigo asked in a confused tone

"That was not your choice to make Ichigo." Yoruichi said scoldingly

"And I made it anyway. I don't expect a thanks for that nor do I care about it. But if you wanna die that badly then just say so." Ichigo quickly threatened back, much to everyone's shock

"Ichigo, do you truly think of us as your enemies now?" Kisuke asked. He was quite sad that things turned out like this although he couldn't blame Ichigo that much

"I don't. But if any of you help the soul reapers again, then we'll be enemies the next time we meet. And I will show you as much mercy as I did them..." Ichigo answered, gesturing to the two quincies he killed earlier. "the next time we meet." he finished before the hollow marks disappeared

The horror everyone else felt only became much worse at hearing that Ichigo was now more than willing to consider them as his enemy. Before they could ask about it, other words were spoken

"Next time? Are you going somewhere Ichigo?" Nel asked curiously

"All of you get ready for a war. Something is coming. I don't really know what it is yet and I'm gonna try to find out what it is. Also, this war is gonna be much bigger than the one that just ended." Ichigo said with a bit of sadness in his voice. "Bambi, can I ask a favor of you and Candi?"

"Sure, just name it." Candice said quickly, much to his shock. Ichigo looked at them in surprise as he didn't expect it at all

"Don't be surprised Ichigo. You basically saved us twice already so it's alright for you to ask a few favors." Bambietta added

This did make Ichigo smile before he let it fade. "I want you to protect my sisters while I'm gone. I know that dad will keep them safe but even he can't be everywhere at once. Not even I can do that. If any soul reaper steps foot in karakura town, kill them. I don't care if it's Rukia or Renji." he said sternly, further horrifying Orihime and Chad

"Ichigo, are you serious about this?" Chad said in horror

"I am." Ichigo replied simply

"Alright Ichigo but what about the arrancars?" Candice asked

"I don't want to bother them about that. They can help if they want but since you two already have a house in town, I figured it would be easier to ask you instead." Ichigo explained

"That's a good point." Ulquiorra said

"What about what we think Ichigo?" Yoruichi asked angrily

"I'm just trying to protect my sisters alright." Ichigo retorted with a glare

It was at this moment that Nel noticed something. "You seem rather different Ichigo, even after you changed since learning the truth?"

"To be honest, I don't expect to make it through the coming conflict alive." Ichigo said honestly and before anyone could ask why, he already flashed away and the swirling vortex above them finally disappeared

"Talk about one hell of a grudge." Liltotto commented once Ichigo left

"Tell me about it." Bambietta agreed

Yoruichi just sighed at this as her mind was full of thoughts

"So what do we do now boss?" Tessai asked as he too observed the whole discussion

"I'm not really sure about this. What do you think Isshin?" Kisuke asked

"I'll trust my son's judgment. Regardless of what he has become, he is still my son and he still wants to keep his sisters safe. I know that he knows something that we don't. It's up at me to find out what it is." Isshin said

"We're not just gonna let the soul reapers die are we?" Ganju asked in concern

"Yeah. Their injuries still haven't been healed. They'll die if we leave them." Chad agreed

"You heard Ichigo. If we help them, we are on the receiving end of his blades." Yoruichi said. While she didn't like this one bit, she knew better than to take that risk. "Besides, I'm sure Ichigo probably has a good reason for all of this and Isshin is right. We have to find out what it is. What do you think about this Kisuke?"

"Well, it's settled then. However, this still begs the questions. Why is Ichigo acting the way he does and what exactly is it he is telling us to prepare for?" Kisuke pondered

"Wait, so you don't have a clue as well Kisuke Urahara?" Bambietta asked in surprise

Kisuke looked at the one who asked the question and noticed it was one of the quincies. "To be honest, I don't and I'm growing really concerned about this. Ichigo is acting like a competely different person."

"Perhaps, but there are a couple things that none of you are considering." Aizen said, finally joining in on the conversation

"What are you talking about AIzen?" Nel asked curiously. The others also looked at him as well as he appeared to know what was going on

"Well, first off, I'm sure that everyone here is aware that Ichigo has basically lived most of his life under a lie." Aizen answered before looking at the ones from hueco mundo. "You said that Ichigo's zanpakuto was his inner hollow, correct?"

"That's right." Starrk answered

"Then I think what's going on is that Zangetsu has told Ichigo everything. That includes at how most of his life was a lie. Remember, Ichigo is only fifteen or maybe sixteen at this point and being dropped something like that would make you feel all sorts of emotions, ranging but not limited to anger or distrust. If what you said is true that his inner hollow is also his zanpakuto, then it is possible that it is the polar opposite to what Ichigo is. In other words, all the negative emotions Ichigo had. When Ichigo fully hollowfies, then the influence of his inner hollow would be at its peak and that's probably the reason why he acted the way he did. All that anger and distrust that he felt ever since the soul society's betrayal as well as learning about how his father and mentor lied, was taken out at the instant of this battle and Yhwach became the victim of all that." Aizen reasoned, which surprised Ichigo's friends as to why they didn't think of that

"That's a good point." Kisuke said sadly

"You really think that's true Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked, now becoming sad herself

"I'm not really sure. I've never even considered the possibility that his hollow was actually his zanpakuto so I'm gonna have to agree with Aizen on that one." Kisuke said thoughtfully

"There is also something else." Aizen said, causing all eyes to divert to him. "This is also possibly a scheme by Zangetsu to see who among you is truly Ichigo's allies."

"What do you mean by that?" Isshin asked suspiciously

"As you know, Ichigo is different from what you know of him during the war we had and most of you remember him as such. What I think Zangetsu is planning is to see who among you are his real friends. Because if you truly are Ichigo's friends, then regardless of what he becomes, you would stick by him but should you choose to turn against Ichigo simply because he's no longer the same then you were not really his friends to begin with." Aizen explained which caused everyone's sadness to grow even more

"There's something you're not considering about this Aizen." Uryu said quickly

"What might that be?" Aizen asked

"What if Ichigo actually decided to turn against us?" Uryu pointed out

"He didn't and that has already been proven when he chose to get rid of everyone except you. While I may not be as close to Ichigo as you, I do know that Ichigo's goal is to protect those he cares about and I'm sure it still is. He just changed his methods from needlessly endangering himself to planning his moves strategically." Aizen argued back. "Not only that, it seems that Zangetsu wants Ichigo to make his own choice without anyone's influence."

"Choice on what?" Uryu asked

"On what kind of person he wants to be. If he would want to keep on hating those who turned on him or will he try to find common grounds." Aizen said. "Since he has basically revealed that he's no longer the same person he once was, it is safe to assume that his relationship with you all..." he said, looking at Kisuke and the other former captains. "... has been severely strained which is made worse by his actions and recent threats to you. Given all this, Ichigo is gonna have to make the choice on whether or not he will keep the hatred in his heart or let it go."

Everyone adopted a thoughtful or regretful expression at this. The fullbringers, arrancars and quincies were in deep thought at what Aizen said. Only the arrancars actually cared about what Ichigo would be and that regardless of what he becomes, they have long decided that they will help him in any way they can. The former captains were filled with regret. The regret of having someone so young take all the burden of saving the world as well as being cursed with knowledge that they weren't even aware of. Until someone chose to break the silence

"I have to agree on where Ichigo changed his methods." Harribel said, surprising the others and especially Aizen. "When your goal is as broad as protecting someone, there is more than one way to go about it. I also have to agree that Ichigo has been very reckless before he knew about all this which was demonstrated when he charged into hueco mundo knowing that there were at least ten fighters who were equal or even stronger than he is. Now, Ichigo is no longer doing anything without any forethought."

Nobody could deny what was just said. After all, it is a very stupid idea to just charged into your enemies' backyard without any plan and yet Ichigo did it. Ichigo's friends, but not the ones who were former captains, were really thinking about this hard

"Hey Aizen." Nel said, grabbing the man's attention. "Do you know what Ichigo is doing?"

"No but I do have some clues about it and if what I'm thinking is right, then Ichigo most definitely did not let the thirteen court guard squads live because he wants to reconcile and his new approach to things makes even more sense." Aizen answered

"So you do know what it is?" Bazz B asked, deciding to butt in

"As I said, it is only a thought and I would rather not reveal any wrong detail just yet." Aizen repeated himself. "The way Zangetsu trained Ichigo also makes sense. He taught him to think less with his emotions and start thinking with his mind, to focus on what matters the most and that is the survival of all the worlds. If what I'm thinking is really what Ichigo is trying to do, then he absolutely cannot afford to let his emotions get in the way." Aizen said while looking at the sky with everyone listening intently. "The moment Ichigo was told the truth, he lost the luxury of having friends to help him as due to the level of power he has, anyone who does not stand close to his level would only get in the way and one moment of hesitation is all it takes and all could be lost. I will try to find out what it is he is doing and inform you of any relevant findings." he said before looking at Harribel. "Do not worry about it Harribel. I will not come to hueco mundo unless all of you agree to it. However, I will ask you to find a way to communicate with the quincies or Kisuke."

"Us? Why?" Candice asked in confusion

"Because he is aware that the arrancars are weary of him. Isn't that right?" Bambietta pointed out and caused Aizen to smirk. "Regardless, how are we supposed to know if you haven't put us under your complete hypnosis?"

Instead of answering, Aizen merely drew his sword, alerting everyone but instead of doing anything, he merely thrusted it into the ground. "Touch the blade." he instructed, much to their confusion. "The sole way to escape Kyoka Suigetsu's influence is to touch the blade when the body is in decent condition."

"So you're taking our side?" Candice asked. "I thought you would be mad after Ichigo defeated you."

"I was but now, there are much bigger things at stake." Aizen said honestly and soon, everyone, including the ones from the world of the living, hueco mundo, the fullbringers and the quincies took turns to touch the blade

"So, how long does this last? And why do we have to be in decent condition?" Lilynette asked curiously

"It will last until you touch the blade again with your body in decent condition. To answer your second question, it is a failsafe as it is possible that someone in the middle of a battle against me would touch the blade instead of parrying." Aizen explained

"I see. So this is to prevent any unintentional prevention of the complete hypnosis then?" Ulquiorra pointed out

"Exactly." Aizen answered

"Well that's all good but now what?" Askin asked the inevitable

"We're going back to the world of the living, all of us." Isshin said sternly and got nods of agreement from the other former captains

"We'll be going back to hueco mundo." Ulquiorra said simply

"Then I guess me and Candi will stay in karakura town. Ichigo did ask us after all, if that's alright with you that is." Bambietta said, looking at Isshin

"I'm not really comfortable with it but if Ichigo vouches for you then I'll trust my son's judgment." Isshin answered

"Alright. You wanna come with?" Candice asked, looking at the three other girls

"If you do decide to come with us, we'll have to find you a place to stay first." Bambietta pointed out

"Sure. We have nowhere else to go anyway." Liltotto said and the other girls agreed

"Hey, we'd like to come with as well if that's alright. While I don't know much about Ichigo, I most certainly don't want to get killed with whatever is coming." Bazz B said with the other guys agreeing

"Alright but same pattern. We'll have to find a place for you to stay. The house I lived in is too small for this many of us." Bambietta said sternly

"Leave that to us." Ginjo said, surprising the quincies

"What?" Bambietta asked, confused

"We still have a few connections here and there plus you can always stay at that house we lived in." Tsukishima offered

"Fine as long as it's in decent condition." Bambeitta responded. "Why are you taking our side now?"

"It's simple really, the soul reapers are now gone so we are free to act however we want. And whether you believe me or not, I do want to apologize for what I planned to do to Ichigo." Ginjo said in a rather honest tone, surprising everyone even Isshin

"If that's settled then I'll take my leave. I'll contact you or Kisuke if I find anything." Aizen said while looking at Bambietta who nodded before leaving

"What about you Kukaku?" Yoruichi asked

"Well, I'm not really sure but I most certainly don't wanna be on the receiving end of Ichigo's wrath so I might as well come with you if it's alright." Kukaku said with a smile. "I'll just tell Koganahiko and Shiroganahiko to come with."

"Sure Kukaku. You'll always be welcome in my humble shop." Kisuke said, back to his usual, jolly self

"I think we should go before any of the soul reapers get back here." Ulquiorra said

"But how are we supposed to go back to the world of the living?" Cang Du asked, pointing at the destroyed seireitei, specifically the senkaimon

"Just come with us. We'll travel to hueco mundo and from there, we'll go to the world of the living." Nel answered and soon, they left for Kukaku's place so she can gather some stuff along with the twins. After that, they all left the soul society with the choice of either they are Ichigo's allies or they help the soul reapers and become his enemies

**-Mountains far away from the seireitei and karakura town-**

Multiple unknown distortions suddenly happened. Whatever this was, was not a garganta or anything of the sort. It is something never seen before

**-Unknown Location-**

Just minutes after Yhwach was gone, parts of a seal suddenly began to break. When the outside parts were finally broken, there stood five seals. Slowly but surely, the seal itself began to be undone albeit at a very agonizingly slow pace. It seems that it would take days before the seal is completely broken

* * *

**Finally finished this one. It took a while because I literally had to read what I had written to see which characters were alive. Yeah I'm lazy and I don't take notes even on something I made. I'm not even sure if I got everyone I mentioned but whatever. Those are the important characters anyway. I also killed a couple of the quincies because there were too many I left alive. Oh yeah and I hate the soul society. I already mentioned it before that I was never a fan of them. I was during the first time I watched the anime but after that, nahh. Reading the manga made me hate them at how retarded they are and it pissed me off that I actually liked them**

**For that quincy thing, I just made that up. It's probably not the best thing I came up with and I know it's confusing but basically, Ichigo was conceived as a quincy first before he was hollowfied upon conception. Don't think about it too much though as this has no relevance in the next arc. I just added it in because I watched something about a specific water causing someone to act feral**

**If anyone is wondering what my inspiration was for the weapons, just search on google 'dark star saber'. It's from the transformers prime cartoon and it's actually the coolest looking sword I ever saw. I decided to make it into Ichigo's sword just with modifications. On that bow however, just look for that quincy fanart where Ichigo has a black hood. It's basically that one. I found that fanart to be cool so I picked it up and put it in the story with only the color modified. On the hollowfication marks, i was actually inspired by the seven deadly sins anime, specifically the demon marks of Meliodas and Zeldris**

**Speaking of the seven deadly sins, I'm gonna take some inspiration from it for the next arc although it will be very different from the 7DS story. It will also take some inspiration from the warcraft franchise but not by much. I will have to say this in advance though, I might rush the story a bit. While I do have the ending part already planned, the parts leading up to it aren't because I find those to be so tedious. The reason for this is I wanna finish this story before august since that is when school starts. While the virus did cancel the school, it is always possible and hopefully, this virus would be over by then. If it is over by august, school is gonna start and since I'm gonna start college, I want this story finished before college eats up most of my time. This is still not sure though but I thought I'd put it out there**

**One last thing, I wanna ask the readers. Who actually thought that Ichigo would reconcile with the soul society in this chapter? Also, try to guess where that unknown location is and send your answers via a review. I will confirm the answer by direct reply to the review, if it isn't a guest one since for some reason those can't be replied to**


	47. Chapter 46

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Forty Six - Aftermath II**

-**Royal Palace-**

While his mentors and friends were busy pondering what he just said, Ichigo went to the sokyoku hill and opened a garganta there before heading back to the royal palace. Like the last time he was here, which was not more than an hour ago, the place was still mostly in one piece with only a few pillars destroyed here and there. It mostly was in the place where Ichibe fought against Yhwach

Arriving at the fake pier the royal guard made, Ichigo saw the bodies of the four other members still laying there, bleeding in a pool of blood. It's possible that they just lost consciousness due to blood loss but considering how severe their injuries was, they were most likely dead

"**So what did you come back here for?"**

**'**Just wanted to check on them.'

"**You actually care about these guys?"**

**'**Only to an extent, but not much.'

Ichigo then decided to summon a few creatures and carry the bodies to Tenjiro's place before sealing his shikai for the first time since he joined the war. Hyosube has told him about Tenjiro's own contributions and how he became a member of the royal guard during his training here months ago. While he has never been there before, there was only one palace that he has never been to and he has already been to the other four. It was obvious which one was Tenjiro's. When Ichigo reached the top of the stairs towards the real entrance, he saw the broken body of Hyosube. While he was observing it, he suddenly heard someone call to him

"Ichigo, call me name." the voice said

"What the...? Am I hearing ghosts now?" Ichigo said to no one in particular

"Call my name. Please." the voice repeated

"Is that you Hyosube? Where the hell are you?" Ichigo asked, now growing annoyed and he was starting to recognize to whom it belongs

"My name. Call it. Please, Ichigo." the voice said again

"Whatever. Ichibe Hyosube." Ichigo said, finally giving in to the voice and suddenly, Ichibe's dismembered body returned to normal. This surprised Ichigo and he immediately but silently released his shikai, readying himself for a fight

"Whoa there it's just me. No need to be on alert." Ichibe said as he raised his hands defensively. "I see you're still on edge Ichigo."

"What the hell? You're body was destroyed. How are you back to one piece?" Ichigo demanded to know

"All names have powers Ichigo. By having you call my name, I used some of your powers to put myself back together." Ichibe explained which made Ichigo glare at him suspiciously while tightening his grip on his swords. "Don't worry about it Ichigo. The amount I used is so miniscule that I can't even do anything significant now."

_"He is right Ichigo. Only a very small portion of your powers was used by him to put himself back together. It was only enough to recover himself a bit but not enough for him to do anything with it. Give it a few hours or maybe even less and the powers he stole to put himself back together will dissipate. There is no way for him to do anything with it, not in the condition he's in and even with the hot springs that you were told about, the power he stole will have dissipated before he can do something with it."_

"That had better be right." Ichigo warned. While he heeded his quincy manifestation's advice, he still didn't want to take the chance

Ichibe dropped his gleeful expression at this and got serious. "Ichigo, did you kill the other soul reapers?"

"No. Not yet anyway." Ichigo said which caused Hyosube to be relieved. He then grabbed the bow on his back and showed it to Hyosube. "I'm taking this."

"Are you sure about that?" Hyosube asked. He wanted to ask about the bow but didn't bother. It seemed that Ichigo's zanpakuto was very perceptive and found out about the vault

"I am. This thing has just been in your vault anyway." Ichigo pointed out

"Alright, if you're sure you can use it then be my guest." Ichibe said, before going back to his usual self. "So I take it Yhwach is gone?"

"He is and he is never coming back again." Ichigo said, anger still in his voice

"I see, very well. In that case, I'll take care of the other members of the royal guard." Ichibe offered

"You? But they're already dead aren't they?" Ichigo pointed out

"They are but for as long as the palace remains intact, I can revive them by calling their names." Ichibe answered

"That is messed up." Ichigo commented

"Hey come now. I at least get to borrow some of your powers." Ichibe whined before he got serious. "Besides. I can't use any more of your powers. When I stole some just now, you were caught off guard and I don't think you will be again." he said before sighing. "I'm not gonna let my squad die so easily." he said sternly while looking at him and noticed his eyes. They weren't what a teenager's should looked like. "Are you alright?"

"Just what do you mean by that?" Ichigo asked

"With you killing Yhwach." Ichibe pointed out

"Does it really matter? It was either Yhwach goes or we all go. In the end, a choice had to be made and I made it." Ichigo said plainly and calmly

Ichibe observed Ichigo for a while and the expression on his face didn't even change one bit. "Alright if you say so." he said, deciding not to push it further. "Ichigo, thank you." he said gratefully as Ichigo turned to leave

Ichigo just nodded at this before having his creatures dissipate. He then opened up a garganta and left for places unknown. His blades, which were now in the places he puts them, his back and right hip, suddenly sealed itself as he started walking into the garganta. This surprised Ichibe as Ichigo wasn't even holding them and yet he somehow sealed them back. This was the first time in recorded history that someone with the powers of a soul reaper sealed his or her blade without even touching it. It made Ichibe wonder just how powerful Ichigo truly was if he continued training. One thing was for sure and that was Ichigo now was at least at Yhwach's level

Just before he could enter, Ichigo suddenly stopped and looked at Ichibe. "Hey Hyosube, one more thing. Be ready." he said cryptically and finally entered the garganta. As Ichigo left however, he suddenly felt something very wrong from the soul king's own palace and knew whatever it is he is trying to find out, would involve the soul king as well as the other secrets his inner spirits told him months ago

'Be ready? For what?' Ichibe wondered. He was now genuinely curious as to what it is Ichigo is planning to do but chose to leave it be for now. After all, his squad was still dead and he was still far from being fully healed

**-Hueco Mundo-**

Just after they went to Kukaku's place, Kisuke and the others headed for hueco mundo along with the arrancars. It was an annoying trip through the garganta as Giselle was whining about the abyss beneath them. Luckily for them, they eventually reached hueco mundo and arrived at one of the palaces. Specifically Harribel's palace. This did not go unnoticed as the arrancars who stayed behind immediately flocked towards them

"Master Harribel." the tres bestias yelled in unison

"Master Nel. You're back." Pesche and Dondochakka said as they, along with the bestias rushed to their respective mistresses. When they got close though, they realized that there was a much bigger group than when they left

"Uh, master Harribel, what are they doing here?" Sung Sun asked carefully while Rudbornn went on a defensive stance

"Stand down Rudbornn. They are not a threat." Harribel said to which Rudbornn obeyed. "Things have changed for us, a lot. We need to prepare for another war as soon as we can."

"A war? Didn't Ichigo just end this one?" Pesche asked curiously before noticing something. "Wait, where is Ichigo?"

"He left. Just before he did, he warned that something was coming. He went to find out what it is." Nel said, rather sadly

"So it's not over yet?" Apacci asked

"Apparently not yet so we have to be ready." Starrk said nonchalantly

"I take it the soul reapers are Kisuke Urahara and the others while these quincies are the ones who Ichigo said have had their powers stolen?" Rudbornn pointed out

"Yep that's us." Kisuke said gleefully despite the obvious worry everyone felt, causing everyone to sweatdrop

Introductions soon happened so all of them could get acquianted with each other

"So, you guys gonna use this place for your base of operations or something?" Dondochakka asked when it was over

"No. We just came here to use a garganta to go back home." Yoruichi answered

"Why is that? Couldn't you use a senkaimon?" Sung Sun pointed out

"We can't. The seireitei has been reduced to nothing but rubble after Ichigo killed Yhwach and I didn't necessarily bring anything to get us back home. This was a one way trip when Ichigo finally let us go to the soul society." Kisuke answered but it didn't shock them that much

"I see so you had to come here in order to get back to the world of the living then." Rudbornn said in realization. "That still makes me wonder though. How did Ichigo travel between the worlds?"

"That's what I'd like to know." Isshin agreed to the question

"At any rate, will you be going now Kisuke Urahara or would you rather stay here and rest for a bit?" Nel asked

Everyone looked at each other in surprise over this. They were really surprised at just how much Ichigo has influenced these people. Unlike the soul reapers, who wouldn't even bother to be civil with their enemies, they were quick to simply put aside their grudge to focus on a common goal, which in this case is survival of another war. Eventually though, they managed to find their voice

"We won't stay for long. We need to check on the town if anything happened." Ryuken said, being the first to get over his shock

"Alright then." Starrk said simply and opened up a garganta. "I'll take you guys there."

"You? Since when were you eager to do anything other than sleeping?" Lilynette pointed out, surprised at her partner's behavior

"I'm not. I just wanna get things over with." Starrk argued back

"Before you go, can you get one of those communication devices?" Harribel asked, looking at Rudbornn

"At once." Rudbornn said and flashed away. He soon came back carrying said device. "What would you need this for, if I may ask?"

"It is what Aizen requested." Ulquiorra answered, which shocked the other arrancars. "He agreed not to come here unless we all agree to it. He left to try and find out what Ichigo is doing."

"And you just believed him?" Mila Rose objected

"He did give us a sign of good faith so to speak. He lifted the effects of Kyoka Suigetsu on all of us." Nel pointed out, which surpised them even more

"So this coming war is really serious if even Aizen is willing to work with Ichigo." Rudbornn realized and got nods from everyone who came from the soul society as well as the espadas. He then handed it to Bambietta

"What about you guys Bambi?" Sung Sun asked

"We'll stay there in the world of the living. Ichigo actually asked us to do something." Bambietta answered

"Seems like someone now has a boyfriend." Sung Sun teased, to Orihime's horror while everyone else laughed. Even Bambietta just laughed at it

Eventually, they all settled down

"Alright. We're going. See you guys next time." Candice said as she and everyone except the arrancars left with Starrk guiding them through

"One more thing though, we might come back to share information or something." Kisuke said as he was the last one to enter the garganta and received a nod of understanding from the other three espadas

It was obvious that the other arrancars didn't fully trust them. However, they also didn't have any reason to be enemies with them. From both Aizen's databank as well as Ichigo's own words, these people were among the most peaceful of all and it was genuine peace unlike how the soul society thinks. Unlike the soul society, these people would actually go for some common grounds and would rather not fight unless there is no choice. If only the same could be said for the other soul reapers as one insult and you become enemies for life

**-Soul Society-**

Many hours later, the soul reapers and visored eventually regained consciousness. They were all confused at what just happened. The captains they respected actually wanted to kill their savior and now, said person has considered them as his enemies and even went as far as to help the wandenreich a bit. One of them was even murdered by him just earlier while another was basically half dead

Squad four has basically been in a panic in an attempt to heal Byakuya. The other captains, while injured, have most of it healed only to have it undone when Ichigo threw them around

Rukia and Renji were having mixed feelings. On one hand, they were angry at the fact that Ichigo lost faith in them, that he severed their friendship just like that, killed a lieutenant and third seat and now nearly killed a captain. It wasn't even just a random captain but one who was close to the both of them. On the other hand, they were disappointed at the very same thing as how Ichigo just acted like that. The Ichigo they knew would have at least tried to find some common grounds but now, he did not. The only thing they could agree on was that they really needed to have a talk with the captains. Not just them but all the soul reapers. However, all of that wil have to wait as right now, tending to their injuries was their first priority

Eventually, Byakuya was in stable condition while the others have recoved from the injuries. Even Zaraki had his arm back, courtesy of Orihime, at least before Ichigo came. However, they were still not fully healed. They all regrouped at Byakuya's location after tending to their wounds. It took a very long time due to the fact that there were only so few of them now capable of healing. Most of the thirteen court guard squads has been wiped out either by the wandenreich or Ichigo's hand

"How is he?" Rukia asked

"He's stable. But how long will it take him to regain consciousness, I'm not sure. The injuries Ichigo inflicted on him was very severe. It's almost as bad as when the quincy, As Nodt hurt him the first time." Isane said sadly

"Damn Ichigo." Renji grumbled

Rukia then looked to her captain and weakly asked. "Why, captain Ukitake? Why did you betray him like that?"

"He was gonna become our enemy Rukia. If Ginjo got to him first, we would have had to fight him either way." Jushiro answered in a sad tone himself

"But why? What makes you say that captain?" Renji demanded to know

"Because of the combat pass." Toshiro answered him. "Years ago, we gave Ginjo one to use it to keep an eye on him. He found out about it and turned against us. After lieutenant Kuchiki's rescue, we also gave one to Ichigo. So if GInjo got to him first, there was always a high possibility that he would be our enemy."

"Do you truly believe that?" Rukia asked sadly

"Hey, are we really just gonna ignore the fact that not only did Ichigo kill a third seat and a lieutenant, he also destroyed the seireitei?" Tetsuzaemon pointed out angrily

"He is right. Not only that, he also made it clear that he's also our enemy now." Nanao said, agreeing with Tetsuzaemon

"But we made this choice. We have to make it up to him somehow." Rukia argued. She really didn't want to make Ichigo an enemy. For one thing, they were once friends and for another, Ichigo could kill them without even breaking a sweat

"So you're really just willing to let this go just because he was you're friend?!" Tetsuzaemon quickly retorted

"Alright everyone. Calm down." Kyoraku spoke up, which shut them all up before their argument escalates. "Right now, whatever we decide will have no meaning. The seireitei is completely destroyed. Even if we were to apologize to Ichigo, we have no way of getting to him." he pointed out and that was something all of them forgot about. "Secondly, we need to cool off for a bit. Right now, we are all confused and upset at these turn of events and that's understandable. Before we make any course of action, we need to calm down first. The final decision on what we do with Ichigo will be made once captain Kuchiki has recovered, or at the very least, regained consciousness."

"Whatver." Hiyori yelled out. "Why did Ichigo knock us all away as well?" she grumbled

"Probably because of captain Hirako." Toshiro pointed out

"What do you mean by that, shorty?" Hiyori asked, pissing Toshiro off

"What he means is Ichigo probably thought we would be against him since Shinji is back with the soul society." Lisa pointed out

"I have to agree. It's probably the reason why he also considers lieutenants Abarai and Kuchiki as his enemies now." Hachi agreed. "He probably thought that why would any of us choose to side with him over those who are closer to us." he finished rather sadly

This made Renji and Rukia go into deep thought at those words. If it came down to it, would they really have sided with Ichigo? If they were uncertain, then it makes total sense that Ichigo didn't bother with it

"That still begs the question." Soi Fon said, breaking everyone out of their thoughts. "Where is Ichigo now? And what happened to lady Yoruichi and the others?"

"Most likely Ichigo threatened them that if they help us, they're his enemies as well." Kyoraku said thoughtfully

"Damn that guy. I swear I'm gonna have his head for this." Soi Fon said, furious at the thought that her goddess, or at least, a goddess to her anyway, was threatened by a mere substitute

Due to Soi Fon's angry reaction at the possibility that Yoruichi was threatened, more arguments took place despite Kyoraku's earlier advice

'At least things aren't getting dull. Damn it Ichigo couldn't you have been more subtle about this.' Shinji internally complained although given how the other captains wanted him dead, he couldn't blame the guy. He wasn't even aware that the other captains actually planned that at all. He just hoped that he, along with the visored, could patch things up with him. While he also wanted the other soul reapers to reconcile, that seemed very unlikely as Ichigo has proven himself to be more than willing to kill them. One thing that did confused Shinji however, is why they were left alive. Something was obviously off about all this

They all soon continued to argue for quite a while, much to the irritation of Kyoraku and Shinji

**-Somewhere Else, Far Away-**

Ichigo just arrived at his destination. He didn't go anywhere in particular, just a random hill directly outside karakura town. It was only at this moment that the fatigue caught up to him. Sure he was a quincy and the reishi in the soul society, along with his high speed regeneration and anger at the soul reapers made him ignore it. However, now that his enemies were out of his sight, he finally felt tired. After all, you don't get to fight someone like Yhwach and expect to be completely fine after it even if your injuries healed up almost instantly

"**Hey don't push yourself too hard Ichigo. Get some rest. Since you're finally alone."**

'Is that really a good idea? And now of all times?'

_"He is right. You should rest up a bit. Do not worry about it just yet.'_

'How are you so sure that those guys won't find me?'

"**We're not. But the fact is, you will know if they do."**

'And how am I supposed to know that?'

"**The same way everyone ignores their noses even though it's right in front of them, instinct. You will know if a threat, or just anyone in general, is near you since you're still on edge and you're instincts sharper than ever. It's also the reason why you're just able to ignore anyone that isn't significant on your pesquisa."**

**'**I see. I've always wondered about that. At least I finally got an explanation.' Ichigo said before giving in. 'I guess you're right. Might as well get some rest.' he said before settling his weapons on a nearby tree and a thought then came to his mind. 'You know, I just realized something. How did I just evade the almighty?'

_"So you were never aware of it?"_

'I was. I just didn't understand the details of it. How did Yhwach not see that the future had me in it?'

_"That is quite simple Ichigo. For every possibility that you exist in, another exists where you do not, or rather, not in it. What really gave you the advantage in that fight was Yhwach's own personality. As we said to you before, Yhwach cannot look at all of them at once. The fact that you chose not to take full advantage of your abilities also gave you a slight edge like you said when you berated him. Battles are more than just simply power or fighting ability, it also includes one's own personality and discipline. This makes it possible for a weak person to defeat a stronger opponent by outsmarting said opponent. This is also the reason why you should always take your time unless you have absolutely no other choice. The consequences when you choose to neglect something can be very devastating."_

"**Exactly. That's also why we trained you to be like this."**

**'**Be like what?'

**"The way you are now where you're no longer relying on your so called friends."**

'And you wanted me that way because?' Ichigo asked. He was a bit pissed of that he allowed Zangetsu to manipulate him like that but he was also curious as his zanpakuto usually did things for his benefit, in the long run at least

"**So you won't get complacent."**

**'**What do you mean by that?'

"**Just the way I said it. If you rely on friends, then you're gonna be like 'you go there and do this blah blah blah' instead of doing it yourself."**

'What difference would it make who does what?'

_"The difference in power. If you choose to do things personally, you are more likely to notice something that they will not. This is exactly what would have happened. Had Yhwach chose to keep an eye on you yourself then there is no way he would not know you still had your powers. However, since he only sent Bambietta, she did not notice anything and that led to his downfall. As a matter of fact, you could have even left Bambietta completely in the dark. Remember, she did not even suspect a thing about you until you chose to reveal yourself."_

"**Exactly. If you were to have your allies do the dirty work now, they might miss something that is incredibly vital and you could lose everything. At least this way, even if they do notice something, you would notice it too."**

_**"**__And when you are investigating this Ichigo, make sure to check the places your allies go to, regardless of what they say or find."_

'I see. So that's why you wanted me to go solo on everything.' Ichigo said sadly. He never considered this possibility and was quite saddened about it. If something happens to him, no one would ever know until it is too late and that scared him a bit

_"Do not worry too much Ichigo. We will train you after you've rested up. You may be more powerful than everyone now but there is still room for your powers to grow. So for now, get some rest."_

'Alright you guys. Thanks.'

-**Mountains in the Soul Society-**

The distortions got more and more severe in just a few hours. After more hours has passed, someone walked through the distortion. The mystery person however, chose not to do anything significant but instead chose to head to the rukongai district to see what it can gather on its new surroundings

* * *

**Here is the next one. It's shorter than the ones I've released recently. This one is more like a filler chapter, just one to cover what happened after the encounter in the previous chapter as well as containing a bit more explanations. The real story begins on the next chapter and speaking of future chapters, I won't put any titles on some of the next ones as it would spoil the story a bit. I just don't know which ones yet since only the ending has been finished planning and I'm still working on the ones leading to the ending of my story**

**Oh and no one is gonna guess who or what the enemies are in this arc? **


	48. Chapter 47

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

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**Chapter Forty Seven - So it Begins II**

Five weeks later

**-Unknown Location-**

The landscape in this location can only be described with one word, bizarre. There were upside down waterfalls, giant spiky trees, floating debris, massive pits of scorching hot lava or massive glaciers of completely frozen ice. This is a direct parallel to the surface above it. Unlike this bizarre landscape, the surface above it appeared to be relatively normal except it appeared to be something of a warzone, or to be more exact, the after effects of a war. Destroyed structures and despair filled people are nearly everywhere in the surface while below, there was a very organized structure and it almost seemed as if there was an army

In the landscape beneath the surface, even deeper than where the first lava pits are, a man was walking towards a specific destination. While he was walking, some of the gigantic trees disappeared and reappered elsewhere. The same mysterious phenomenon also occured to some of the floating landscapes nearby and sometimes, even the pathway he was walking in would suddenly disappear. It took him quite a while but he soon arrived at what appeared to be a massive citadel. This citadel was so massive that it was as big or even bigger than both silbern and the seireitei. Inside the citadel were a lot of mysterious creatures, creatures not seen anywhere else even in hueco mundo

The mystery man made his way up the citadel all the way to the very top, which appeared to be a platform that overlooks the entire landscape. Up top, there was another man, who was middle aged. He appeared to have half his face covered in bandages with his white hair coming out of the gaps in the bandages

"So you have come. What news?" the bandaged man asked

"It was successful my lord. The experiment with those distortions worked. One has already passed on to the other side. According to what happened, he ended up in the soul society." the first man answered

"I see. I take it the one you sent was trustworthy enough not to draw attention to himself?" the bandaged man inquired once more

"Indeed. He was one of the assassins we have trained. He is trustworthy enough and he has not been noticed since his arrival. We have ordered him back so we can prepare." the first man answered

"That's good. So what news from the soul society?" the bandaged man asked

"They're horribly weakened. Most of them were wiped out by either the quincies or by Ichigo Kurosaki. The seireitei was completely destroyed and at this point, they have barely managed to rebuild anything significant nor have they replenished half of their original numbers. Even their senkaimon is still destroyed weeks after the war and from what I've noticed, they won't be able to rebuild that anytime soon." the first man answered once more

"Very well. Then we shall attack the soul society first. They made their mistake when they turned on an ally without sufficient reasoning. Their own arrogance has got them nearly wiped out." the bandaged man said before looking at the other guy. "Make preparations immediately. We will crush the soul society once and for all and we shall do it before they can make contact with anyone else. I take it the one you sent still wore the experiment?"

"Indeed my lord. It was a success. He was pulled out a few days ago when the soul reapers went out of the seireitei for a scouting mission of some sort." the first man answered

"Very well. Send someone to the world of the living or hueco mundo to see if we still need the experimental clothes and report back to me. It doesn't matter if he is found out or not but make sure it is a familiar face to the outside world." the bandaged man ordered

"May I ask why, my lord?" the first guy asked

"Because I am certain Ichigo Kurosaki does not care about the soul society. If there is anything he hates more than anything it is people trying to kill his family. Since the soul society were planning to do just that, it is safe to assume that they are now his enemies and will not bother to help the soul society. So our only goal now is to see what we could do in the world of the living or hueco mundo. I have no doubts that Ichigo Kurosaki is well aware of what is happening." the bandaged guy answered

"I see. So while the barriers keep us in this place, it can also be used to gaze upon the worlds on the other side. I guess it really is true." the first guy commented

"Indeed it is. Now go, we will expand our reaching into the soul society and create a forward base to invade the world of the living and the soul society." the bandaged man ordered. "Everything that exists shall soon be under my rule."

"Yes, my lord." the other guy said but before he left, he was called

"One more thing. What is the status of the distortions?" the bandaged man asked

"It is still unstable however it is a way better than when it first occured five weeks ago. We could send someone with a decent amount of power to the other side however it would still take quite a decent amount of time. For me and the other eleven, it is still not possible as our powers are far greater than the others. We would need a gateway opened if we are to travel to the outside world." the first guy answered

"I see. Then I take it you have already found a way to open one?" the bandaged guy asked

"We have however, the process would take a very long time as we have to do it here. Opening it on the surface would only cause them to interfere, which we cannot afford. It should also be opened starting from the other side otherwise it won't work." the first guy answered

"Very well then. Send someone who knows what they're doing to the soul society and have them manipulate the distortions to open turn it into a gateway powerful enough for us." the bandaged guy ordered

The first guy nodded at this and left to execute his orders

"So, Yhwach's own existence really was the one that kept us imprisoned here. I wonder who would even go through the trouble of doing such a thing or why he would even bother." the bandaged man pondered as his underling left

-**Soul Society-**

The soul society has seen better days but at least they were now partly recovered. While much of the seireitei is still destroyed, they have managed to rebuild part of squad four's barracks to treat the injured, as well as a small part of squad twelve's along with a command center. The fact that they have less than five hundred soldiers after their encounter weeks ago only made their problems much worse. It even took Byakuya two weeks before he could regain consciousness. This one encounter made something clear to the soul reapers, Ichigo was not someone to mess with as he wouldn't hesitate to strike down those he once considered his allies

Many of the soul reapers have been busy to the point where even the captains started helping with either the manual labor or by healing. All their fighters now were back to full strength but manpower was still an issue

Shunsui and Jushiro were walking towards the partially rebuilt squad twelve in the hopes of them getting something to work with

"Captain Kurotsuchi, have you checked the status of our equipment in the world of the living?" Kyoraku asked as he and Jushiro entered the small, rebuilt room

Mayuri turned around to see who it was and noticed two of his colleagues entering. "I have tried but to no avail. It seemed that Ichigo Kurosaki has destroyed it all and severed all links we have to the world of the living. We can't even contact Kisuke Urahara. Just like during the first invasion, we are completely alone."

"Well, I'm not surprised. If there's anything that kid hates it's having his family threatened." Kyoraku commented sadly

"Indeed. We have made a fatal mistake that day and now it is haunting us." Jushiro agreed with a sad tone himself before he looked at Mayuri. "Is there anything else of significance you have found captain Kurotsuchi?"

"I'm afraid not. Ichigo Kurosaki has completely destroyed everything, even the daireishokairo as well as every other record that existed in the seireitei." Mayuri responded before his dark aura filled the room. "When I get my claws on you Ichigo Kurosaki you're gonna be wishing you really lost your powers." he mumbled insanely with his face showing an insane grin as well

Kyoraku and Jushiro sweatdropped at this and decided to leave before they have to see what other things Mayuri would plan to do

"We'll be going now. Thank you for your time captain Kurotsuchi." Kyoraku said and pushed Jushiro out of the room

The two went back to their command center which was basically just the personal office of Yamamoto to see what else they could find. Byakuya, along with Soi Fon and Toshiro were busy trying to help squad twelve rebuild. As much as Mayuri creeped them out, they still needed him for his technological expertise. The visored were also helping which did surprise them at first. Although they probably shouldn't considering that they are now on the same boat as they are. One good fortune though is that the Kensei, as well as the other zombified captains are back to normal. Even Mashiro was healed up during Ichigo's fight with Yhwach. If only they could say the same for the other soul reapers that were turned into zombies as all of them were all killed when Ichigo destroyed the seireitei

"How long do you think it will take us to rebuild?" Jushiro asked as he looked at the destroyed seireitei

"A very long time that's for sure." Kyoraku answered while tipping his hat. "So, there have been no reports of anything since Ichigo and the others left?"

"From what I've heard, no. The only things that have happened is at least souls are now coming from the world of the living although they're only regular souls." Jushiro answered

"I see. I still do find it odd that Ichigo risked the entire balance of souls just for us to be nearly wiped out." Kyoraku pondered at this one fact that nearly everyone missed

"Perhaps Ichigo knows something that we don't." Jushiro said thoughtfully. Their conversation was interrupted when Rukia came in

"Captain Ukitake, captain Kyoraku." Rukia said as she came in with Renji

"Hello Rukia. Have you found out anything out there?" Jushiro asked

"No captain. It seems that Aizen has completely gone to ground and that Kisuke and the others has left the soul society. We even went to the fake karakura town and found nothing." Rukia answered

"I see. It seems our first priority is to repair the senkaimon then." Kyoraku said

"Captain, about Ichigo. What will we do about it?" Renji asked

The two captains just sighed at this as even they didn't know what to do

"We're not entirely sure. The four of us, along with the visored want to find a way to somehow reconcile with Ichigo while most of the others label him as our enemy now. We still haven't come to a decision that would satisfy all of us." Kyoraku answered sadly

"Indeed. They also have a strong point in their argument." Jushiro agreed

"What point is that?" Rukia wondered

"If Ichigo even wants to reconcile with us." Kyoraku answered for his friend, which was probably one of the worst nightmares for the two lieutenants

"So you're saying that Ichigo would be our enemy forever?" Renji said in shock

"That is only a possibility and when the last time we saw him, it was the first time that Ichigo revealed himself to his enemies so it is possible he wasn't thinking straight. Reconciliation with Ichigo might still be possible as he did let us live after he ruthlessly killed Yhwach." Jushiro pointed out, causing slight relief to the lieutenants

"That reminds me. Was there anything else you found in Kukaku's place?" Kyoraku asked

"No captain. We weren't able to leave the seireitei for weeks as we were too weak to open the gates and it took captain Kurotsuchi nearly two weeks just to allow some of us outside. When we checked that the first time, there was nobody. Rukia and I have checked the entire place again when we decided to come back and found the place completely deserted." Renji answered

"I see. Then I guess Kukaku is with Isshin then." Jushiro said

"I never would have even guessed that Ichigo's father was actually a soul reaper." Rukia commented. "No wonder he looks like Kaien since they are in a way, related."

"Speaking of, did you know anything about Ichigo being a quincy as well, lieutenant Kuchiki?" Kyoraku asked

"I'm sorry captain but I didn't. From what we witnessed during that fight, it seems that Ichigo didn't have a clue as well until Zangetsu told him about it." Rukia said

"I still find it weird that the hollow we met before was actually Ichigo's true zanpakuto. It makes me wonder just who that other guy is since it looked like Yhwach." Renji said thoughtfully

"Can you explain that one lieutenant Abarai?" Jushiro said as he had no clue about this

"When Ichigo was training for bankai to save Rukia, he was training with someone else that wasn't his inner hollow. During the war, I always felt that Yhwach's face seemed familiar and when the arrancars mentioned that his inner hollow was his zanpakuto, that was when I finally put it together." Renji explained

"I see. So that's how Ichigo knows all this." Jushiro said

"At any rate, you two may leave if you wish. Try to help the others and see what else you can find." Kyoraku said

"Yes captain." Renji and Rukia said and they left

"A quincy with the powers of a soul reaper and a hollow huh? No wonder Ichigo is so powerful." Kyoraku commented as the two left

-**Hueco Mundo-**

Ever since the war against Yhwach ended, the arrancars have been preparing for another one as per Ichigo's warning. With the help of Kisuke, they managed to build a device that would detect any non hollow being within about a hundred mile radius from las noches. This would also immediately alert them if Kisuke, or anyone from the world of the living has entered hueco mundo. However, they couldn't get past that range limit due to how endless hueco mundo is but at the very least, they can prepare for anything since a hundred miles is a very large distance away. Not only that, some of the guys from the world of the living came a couple times to train here for whatever reason and they all got to train together, which was a good thing so that they would know exactly what to do if they ever end up fighting together

All the arrancars have been training hard during this whole time. Whether they have trained enough for it or not was something no one knew. The only thing they have agreed on is that this time, some of them might actually die

While the tres bestias were busy training with Nel's fraccion, Harribel decided to head towards the place where Aizen stored all the data he had. Upon her arrival, she found that Nel also had the same idea

Nel was busy looking at whatever it is that was on the data when someone entered the room. "Oh, it's you Harribel." she greeted as she turned to look who it was

"Was there anything of significance you found?" Harribel asked, going straight to the point

"Nope. Just like all the other times before, there isn't much to go on. All that's here is Aizen's experiments on hollowfication as well as all the data he had on Ichigo. Even Kisuke Urahara had tried to hack this system to see for any hidden information but there was none." Nel replied

"I see. So we are still working blind then." Harribel said and got a nod from Nel

"Well, at least Starrk is not being lazy anymore. I never thought I'd see that." Nel said jokingly, which caused Harribel to smile but it couldn't be seen due to her jacket

Harribel then decided to look at the data herself. She never bothered to do this before as this was more of Ulquiorra's thing but since they decided to take a break from training today, she figured she had nothing else to do. She looked at Nel and saw that her fellow arrancar was in deep thought. "What's on your mind Nelliel?"

This brought Nel out of her trance and managed to recompose herself. "I'm just really concerned. Are we gonna make it through the coming conflict alive? All this waiting is so unnerving and the fact that neither Ichigo nor Aizen has made contact yet is making it worse."

"There's no way to know for sure. The only thing we can do is prepare as best we can. The one thing that really concerns me is how nothing significant has happened since the war ended." Harribel pointed out

"Agreed. I'm really worried about this." Nel said

Harribel didn't respond to this but she too shared this feeling. If what Ichigo said was really true, then someone is gonna die in this war and even though they have Ichigo on their side, he is gonna have his hands full taking off the head of the snake so they're basically on their own but at least they would try to be as ready as possible

While the female espadas were busy in the data room, the fracciones were all busy training. Since the espadas decided to take a break for today, the fracciones thought it would be a good time to train. They didn't really train that much with the espadas due to the fact that they don't really stand much of a chance even on a sparring, however, they did do that from time to time just so they could learn to work together to fight a stronger enemy

Starrk was observing the fracciones from atop one of the random pillars in las noches along with Lilynette. The fracciones really have improved a lot since they first met and even from when they first began training together which was to prepare for the quincy invasion. Even Starrk was impressed at how much however, it still goes without saying that he would be able to take them on. After all, it wasn't only the fracciones that were training, the other espadas did so too although they did it outside the fortress

"Hey Starrk." Lilynette said while the two were observing. "Do you think we'll survive the coming war?"

"I'm not really sure Lilynette. We can only hope for the best." Starrk said as he too mirrored the emotions and thoughts of the other espadas, especially the concern they have about the conflict

"Have we heard anything from Aizen or Ichigo yet?" Lilynette curiously asked

"I don't think so. Even Kisuke Urahara and the others don't have anything to go by and we just contacted them a few days ago." Starrk answered, causing Lilynette to grow even more worried

During the few weeks since the war ended, the arrancars and Kisuke have been visiting each other. The arrancars gave Kisuke some of the stuff Aizen made and just kept in storage to allow Kisuke to make something for both of them. They managed to convert the caja negacion into a barrier. While the barrier was too small on its own, producing a large number of it allows it to cover the entire fortress. Kisuke also had his own modified caja negacion as well as the others. They were specifically designed to cover important parts of town, Ichigo's house and Kisuke's shop to name a few

At the same time, Ulquiorra was with Rudbornn at the main gates of the fortress, busy organizing the defense of las noches. The repairs of the damage the quincy caused during their attack were finished two weeks ago. Rudbornn had been working on it full time when the war ended. While they were repairing it, they found a major flaw in the modified caja negacion, if the barrier would also trap them within it. They contacted Kisuke about this when they found out about this and learned he also had the same problem. Kisuke said that it should only be used as a last resort to buy time. He couldn't really do much more as he might as well try to make something else entirely

"So, is the barrier ready?" Ulquiorra asked

"Just about. Commencing test now." Rudbornn said and activated it, causing the entire fortress to be surrouned by a massive, translucent blue barrier covered the fortress. "It's working however, we would need to do some more tests in the next time and someone sufficiently powerful such as Aizen or Ichigo could just power through this."

"This isn't meant to keep enemies out indefinitely but merely for us to buy more time." Ulquiorra pointed out

"Indeed. However, we shouldn't be relying on this too much." Rudbornn said

"What about the army?" Ulquiorra asked

"Most of them are still in the menos forest but they can be relocated to any battlefield within the radar Kisuke Urahara gave us in a few hours at most. That's not counting the immediate army we would have in the exequias." Rudbornn answered. He too trained during the last few weeks. Suffice to say his ability to create more exequias improved and can now create greater numbers before feeling the fatigue of losing his spirit energy

"Very well. Conduct more tests of the barrier in the last few hours and ask for a status update from the menos forest." Ulquiorra said as he turned around to leave

"Yes, master Ulquiorra." Rudbornn said respectfully and dropped the barrier before he too left, heading to the main control room

**-Karakura Town-**

The situation for the others was pretty much the same as the arrancars. They were all worried for the coming conflict but at the same time, they were preparing for it. During the whole time, it was decided that the visored's hideout would be the main training ground for the quincies. That way, they wouldn't have to bother Kisuke that much and also so they could use his training grounds when the other soul reapers wanted to. Ryuken and Uryu had their own training ground beneath the hospital while Orihime and Chad would be with Kisuke's training ground. Ginjo and Tsukishima settled in the house their late colleagues used when they first came here. Since it was decent enough for three people, it was most certainly good enough for two. The other quincies stayed in the fullbringer's second house, which was large enough to accomodate six people while Bambietta and Candice stayed in the house Bambietta used. Kukaku, along with the other three from her house also stayed in Urahara's shop while they would sometimes pay a visit to Isshin every now and then. Since they came back from the soul society, all of them simply settled for a bit before going through some training. If Ichigo's word was to be believed, they would suffer casualties during this war and the fact that Aizen seemed to know what was going on only solidified that possibility. Like the arrancars, they were all greatly unnerved at how nothing significant has happened ever since they left the soul society

Bazz B and the other quincies were at the visored's hideout. They were busy training for the coming war. They decided to just tag team it so they formed three groups with two members each. They weren't particularly keen on fighting like this but they figured it would be better for them to fight with each other than to go solo as none of them were that powerful. Even Askin realized this despite him being the second most powerful sternritter alive

"Hey, don't tell me you girls have had enough?" Bazz B taunted as he pushed back Meninas and Liltotto

"Don't get too cocky Bazz B." Meninas said scoldingly and tried to attack but was blocked when Cang Du stepped in front with his ability active

"Why shouldn't we be cocky?" Cang Du retorted

"Because this isn't a free for all." Liltotto answered as she tried to devour Cang Du

"Correction, this is partly free for all." Askin pointed out and broke up the training as he joined in

Giselle was the only one who couldn't do much training on her powers because as per Kisuke and the others' instruction, no zombies, yet. So instead she just focused on her basic quincy powers, which was what she needed training the most since she became overreliant on her zombies that she was next to defenseless on her own

While they were busy training, Bambietta and Candice were busy going around town. Just like the radar the arrancars had, Kisuke also made one for themselves. However, neither of the two girls took a chance of it failing and has been patrolling the town every now and then. Surprisingly, Kisuke didn't take offense to it and even supported them as he too knew that a malfunction could happen at any time

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Candice asked as she got so bored with simple patrols while they were walking around town

"We keep looking. It's really unsettling how nothing is going on. We know something is gonna happen and just waiting for it is really annoying." Bambietta said in agreement. "Besides, we needed to take a break from training since we usually do it like five or six days a week and we also have to keep an eye on Ichigo's sisters."

"I guess you have a point. That reminds me, what do you think of that thing that's inside Ichigo's body?" Candice asked curiously as she sat in a park bench

"Perverted." Bambietta said simply as she took out some food from the bag she was carrying

"Surprising. I thought you would be amused at someone like that." Candice said in amusement

"Not really. I only want to do those things on my own terms and not when someone else wants to." Bambietta argued back, annoyed at how when they first met Kon he immediately acted like the pervert he is

"You have a point. It is kind of annoying. And since we're on that topic, do you think Isshin trusts us to keep an eye on his daughters?" Candice asked curiously

"I don't believe so and I don't think he will for a long time since they are his daughters after all. Even Kon said he is obsessive or something about his daughters. I guess he really is Ichigo's father if he is that overprotective." Bambietta answered thoughtfully

"I think you're right. It's a shame too since I kinda liked those two." Candice said in agreement. "So when do we go back to training? And speaking of training, I wonder if it was a good thing that we train for like most of the week instead of keeping an eye on Ichigo's sisters."

"Tomorrow." Bambietta answered simply. "It is. I mean, this place is basically under complete lockdown with us, Kisuke and the others here and with that radar thing Kisuke made, we'll basically know immediately if a soul reaper comes here."

"Well, that's true." Candice said. She really didn't want to fail in what Ichigo asked them to do. Neither did Bambietta. If something happened to Yuzu or Karin, Ichigo was gonna have their heads for it. They couldn't even be mad that Ichigo chose not to do it himself as they knew the importance of sacrifice. Specifically sacrificing something for the greater good, which in this case, not getting everyone killed

At Ichigo's house, everything was rather normal. When Yuzu and Karin first heard of the truth about their family, they were rather shocked about it, although Karin didn't exactly show it. Upon hearing that Ichigo was busy elsewhere, Yuzu began to cry as to where her brother was and she began to grow increasingly worried about him while Karin merely shrugged it off. That was the kind of person their brother is anyway, regardless of what he does or becomes. Isshin himself also grew worried about his son but knew he couldn't afford to worry too much. Instead, over the last few weeks since the war ended, he would go to Kisuke's shop to train every now and then. One thing that was good for all of them however, was how Yuzu and Karin finally met some of the family from their father's side. They also met with Ryuken who was basically the only one left from Masaki's side of the family. However, for today, it was just another usual day, with Kon acting all goofy and Karin going out to play some soccer while Yuzu stayed at home. Isshin was at Kisuke's store to see what else they got found. He wasn't really comfortable that a couple sternritters were gonna protect his daughters but he had little choice. He couldn't be in two places at once. Hell even Ichigo couldn't do that which is why he asked Bambietta and Candice

In the Urahara shop, everyone else was there except the fullbringers, who were busy doing their own thing.

"Kisuke, you got anything?" Isshin asked as he entered the room

"No actually. I even contacted the arrancars and found nothing. Even Bambietta and Candice found nothing during their patrols." Kisuke answered in a disappointed tone

"That's not all. Even Ginjo found nothing." Yoruichi reminded him

"So, we're still in the dark huh?" Kukaku commented

"I'm afraid so." Kisuke agreed. "I have also been trying to track down Aizen in the hopes that maybe he would know something but that guy knows how to cover his tracks. I haven't found a single clue that would point to where he is."

"Regardless, are we really sure that the other sternritters are our allies in this war? I don't trust them that much." Ryuken pointed out

"Me neither, especially how Ichigo actually trusts Bambietta and Candice more than the soul society although I can't really blame him. But I have to say, it seems that they are more afraid of becoming Ichigo's enemy which is why they decided to try and help us." Isshin said thoughtfully

"Makes me wonder how neither of them are his girlfriend." Kisuke said teasingly

"Tell me about it." Isshin replied and they soon discussed various things

Ginjo and Tsukishima on the other hand, were all busy in the outskirts of town. They've been trying to find anything useful but like the others, came empty handed. It almost seems that whatever Ichigo warned about was not gonna come at all

**-Soul Society-**

Contrary to what everyone else thought, Aizen hasn't actually left the soul society ever since the war ended. Instead, he was been moving from one mountain range to another, trying to find any distortions. He did find a few of them and knew he was right. The secret that caused him to do what the things he did is the very same thing Ichigo is trying to deal with. When he found a distortion a few weeks ago, he immediately tried to look for anyone suspicious so he could gather information. That was part of the reason he moved in the mountains as perhaps anyone not from this realm has chosen to hide there but like the others, he found no one. However, at least he now knows what they're dealing with and he chose to remain in the soul society to see if the one not from this realm chose to blend in among the residents of the rukongai district. Not knowing who he should be looking for, this one endeavor has already taken him a weeks and it was then that he decided to travel to the world of the living to inform Kisuke and the others about who exactly they're dealing with. While he wasn't sure if anyone was here, at the very least, everyone would know what this is all about

**-World of the Living-**

Ever since he killed Yhwach, Ichigo has been training to improve his ability to manipulate reishi. During his training, he decided to adopt the bow as his primary weapon and when used in conjunction with his shikai's powers, could effectively allow him to kill anyone he wants while unseen. Even if he breaks his invisibility by firing an arrow, he could immediately just go invisible again and since no one would know where it came from, his targets would be left guessing. It was decided that it was best to train in the world of the living where the quality of reishi was significantly less than anywhere else. The logic of this was if he could do it in a place like this, then if he does the same thing in the soul society or hueco mundo, he wouldn't have to adjust to the reishi anymore since he trained in a location that isn't optimal

He trained for about three weeks to use the bow effectively in conjunction with his zanpakuto. Suffice it to say, he was no longer limited to simple sword fighting but can now use both a ranged and melee weapon. When he finished training, he began to search for something and even after nearly two weeks of searching, he still hasn't found any clues about it. What he was searching for was different from what Aizen was. The two of them were aware of who the real enemy was and Aizen was searching for anyone suspicious to interrogate while Ichigo was busy finding clues as to how to enter where their adversaries were

While Ichigo was busy taking a break from his search, his inner spirits read what was on his mind

"**So, you're concerned about what you're becoming huh or if you shouldn't have done what you did to the soul reapers? And now of all times."**

'How did you...?'

**"It's really obvious Ichigo. Even you should see that."**

'Yeah you're right. I'm just concerned if what I did was right.'

"**It's been five weeks since the war ended and only now are you thinking about it?"**

'Give me a break here. You trained me on how to use this bow and you weren't even giving me much time to think about stuff. Even after I learned how to use this thing, you immediately told me to go search for something and if I had some free time, you would train me, again.'

"**That I did and it was for your own good. I don't want you to become like those soul reapers who thinks that just because they reached a certain level, they're more than ready to face anyone or anything that comes their way. Look where that got them."**

'Is that why you two trained me as harshly as you did?'

_"It is. If for whatever reason you think you're current level is good enough, then you have become no better than the ones who betrayed you. Regardless of what happens, there will always be room for improvement. What Aizen told you before at having a ceiling at how good one can be in a fighting method was true, however, that only applies to each of the fighting methods individually. It is up to the fighter to figure out how to adapt his fighting style to any given situation. Just like how there are endless possibilities, there are also next to endless amount of scenarios in a fight. if for one reason or another you cannot use your main fighting style, you must be ready to instantly switch to another one."_

'That makes sense, I guess. In fact, you're right. I don't want to rely on only one fighting style now that you mention it.' Ichigo agreed with them before going back to the main topic. 'That still doesn't explain how or why I did what I did after I got rid of Yhwach. I know I hated the soul reapers but I never even thought I would do something like that.'

"**The more you know then. Just keep in mind what Aizen told you, or asked you rather. 'Are you absolutely sure you know the truth?' Anyways, the reason for that is because of me, again."** White said before putting his hand on his chin in thought as he realized Ichigo got a bit pissed and curious. "**I guess I worded that wrong. The exact reason is because you still haven't learned to fully control your emotions, the negative ones anyway."**

'What does that even mean?'

_"Tell us, Ichigo. Aside from being your inner hollow and zanpakuto, what do you think he is?"_

'Uh, I dunno. How am I even supposed to know that anyway?'

"**You know, I actually hoped you would have noticed it. I guess I was wrong."**

'Just answer the question.'

_"He is also the polar opposite of your personality, Ichigo. The parts of you that you have tried to reject and supress." _Zangetsu said. This response however, only got them an even more confused Ichigo

"**Ichigo, do you remember, ever since becoming a soul reaper, you have decided for yourself the kind of fighter that you were. Like being a regular fighter without even toying with your enemies or being sadistic enough to make them suffer?"** White asked while Ichigo merely kept his silence. "**These things, perversion, sadism, bloodlust and even the hatred you felt for yourself when your mom died. You thought you got over them when you finally gained the power to protect you're family however, the truth is they did not. So where do you suppose those emotions went?"**

'Wait, then that means, you represent the dark side of my own personality?'

_"Exactly. This is among the things that makes you such a unique being."_

'Okay but how exactly does that explain my behavior back then?'

**"It's simple. Before, you hardly ever felt stuff like bloodlust or sadism because you rejected me as some sort of evil entitiy. However, now that you have accepted me, you also accepted the part of you that you don't like."**

_**"**__This is the reason why you acted the way you did before. When you were in your hollowfied state, all the negative emotions became much stronger and since you were never able to fully control it you acted in a way you never even considered you would. As such, when the chance appeared, you took it and indulged in it. It is worth mentioning, that even though you were never fully able to control your negative emotions, its influence is significantly less when you are not hollowfied, to the point where you usually are very calm. That is why during the first battle you had against Soi Fon and Byakuya, you did not act in the same way you did against Yhwach."_

'And why exactly you didn't tell me this?'

**"Because this is something that you need to figure out on your own, without any interference, even from us."**

'What exactly do I have to figure out?'

_"On how you want to live your life. I will admit, I disagree with your hollow's view that emotions are completely useless. However, I do agree that they will not get you very far and ultimately, the most lethal weapon that can be used against you. Yes, you have decided to be a protector but that is bascially your goal. What you need to figure out is the kind of person you want to be. Are you gonna hold the grudge that you had upon those that have hurt you for eternity or will you heed the very same advice you gave to the arrancars."_

"**And this is why I never told you about me being your dark side. You were supposed to have figured out it by now and well, since you didn't, might as well tell you because at this point, I've basically lost hope that you would ever figure it out. So once this is over, you're gonna have to make that choice and when you do, it must not be because you were forced to make one under pressure or because you were afraid of your father or whatever. This is a choice you must make out of your own free will, without anyone influencing your judgment."**

_**"**__It is also our ulterior motive for telling you that the way you acted was for the best. By straining your relationship with the others, you are now on your own without anyone influecing your judgment. Even the two of us no longer try to influence you but rather, we only give you advice and information. Your hollow is also right. The kind of peron you want to be is a choice you will have to make but it must be done when there is nothing else that could pose a threat to you. That way, whatever decision you make, it will be purely of your own choice."_

Now Ichigo became silent. There really was more to learn and it was a lot. He really should be used to his inner spirits acting this way but he still would have appreciated a warning of some sort. While he was busy trying to find his voice, he felt Aizen enter Karakura town somewhere

And then it happened. Just seconds after Aizen arrived in the world of the living, a massive tremor suddenly occured. It was very strong however, it did not last for more than fifteen seconds. Everyone felt it as its origins was not in any of the three worlds. The soul reapers, arrancars, quincies, fullbringers and even regular humans all felt the tremor and it scared the crap out of them. The tremor was even strong enough to crack the seireitei walls. This one event finally made Ichigo's allies feel a bit of easiness, as it seems that whatever it is they have been preparing for, was finally happening

**-Unknown Location-**

In the very same place where the landscape was bizarre, the inhabitants too felt the tremor. The bandaged guy was also surprised at this event as he was sure this wasn't his doing or any of his underlings

What he didn't know was that in a place far deeper than where the citadel was, the seals that were beginning to break ever since Yhwach's death have finally become undone. In fact, these seals were so powerful that it took this long for it to be completely broken. The moment that it did break, it sent a very powerful tremor that was felt everywhere. Once the tremor died down, the seal was completely undone, and five people were soon revealed when the broken seal finally dropped

* * *

**Here is the next one. Just a boring chapter on what everyone has been up to since the war ended. If anyone is curious, my inspiration for the unknown location is actually the distortion world in pokemon. I won't tell what the other groups are called yet but I already did give a hint. Also, I think this should be enough explanations, at least for Ichigo's part anyway. I will say this though, at this point, I still haven't decided yet if Ichigo should reconcile with the soul society. And when I mentioned before that I would change the stuff concerning the filler characters, well, all of it is gonna be in this arc and the change I mentioned, some of them are gonna be very drastic, just like how I changed Ichigo to be the way he is now**

**Also, anyone care to guess who the enemy is for this arc? Or where this unknown location is?**


	49. Chapter 48

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Forty Eight - ?**

**-Soul Society-**

The massive tremor that happened immediately put a panic on every inhabitant of the soul society, even the ones in the rukongai district. Not a single one of the soul reapers or just random rukongai district citizens have the slightest clue as to what just happened

"What was that?" Jushiro asked after it died down

"I don't know." Kyoraku responded before looking at Nanao, who came in a few moments after Rukia and Renji left. "Nanao, send out a hell butterfly. Have captain Kuchiki and captain Hitsugaya go out and try to see what happened."

"Yes, captain Kyoraku." Nanao instantly responded

"Also have captain Zaraki accompany them in case they run into trouble. The first priority is to find out anything and nothing more. Make sure that they bring something to they can communicate to us while they're out there." Jushiro added

"I understand captain." Nanao said before she sent three hell butterflies. One heading to Zaraki and the others to Byakuya and Toshiro

Jushiro and Kyoraku also left as well. They went to Mayuri to see if he knows anything about it

A few minutes later, the hell butterflies reached their destination

"Captain Hitsugaya..." Byakuya called out while he was helping with the repairs

"I know. Let's go." Toshiro answered quickly

"Captain what's going on?" Rangiku asked in worry

"Captain Kyoraku wants me and captain Kuchiki to find out the cause of that quake." Toshiro answered

"We'll be meeting captain Zaraki in one of the gates then we'll leave." Byakuya added

"Yeah. Let's go." Toshiro said and the two of them immediately left

"Be careful captain." Rangiku mumbled as the two left

It didn't take long before they found themselves at one of the gates, which was the southern gate. Just minutes after they arrived, Zaraki arrived as well

"So there you are." Toshiro said as Zaraki arrived

"Hey. You got any ideas what this is about?" Zaraki asked

"That's what we're gonna try to find out." Byakuya answered before the gates finally opened. "That quake was even strong enough to crack the seki seki walls. We need to find out what caused that."

"Think this has something to do with Ichigo and the others?" Zaraki asked curiously

"I doubt it. As much as he is our enemy now, I highly doubt Ichigo Kurosaki would cause something like that." Toshiro said thoughtfully

"I agree. He might have changed from that naive kid he once was, but he is still focusing on protecting his family. That hasn't changed and from what we've seen, he simply changed his approach." Byakuya agreed. Out of the other soul reapers, the three of them were also hesitant to make an enemy of Ichigo. Apart from the obvious difference in power, they knew they made a mistake. Even Byakuya who was nearly killed twice by Ichigo now, knew that he acted like that because of the captains' own decision. Byakuya couldn't really blame Ichigo for the way he acted as he knew he would act in the same way if someone threatened Rukia, which was proven when he killed Zommari. Zaraki wasn't even part of that decision and if he was in that meeting, he most certainly would have disagreed with it and would probably end up fighting all the captains himself

"Well, we're not gonna find anything just talking here. Let's go." Zaraki said and led the way

The other two quickly followed to investigate the cause of the tremor. What they didn't know is that the tremor didn't happen in the soul society alone. It happened everywhere

Nearly an hour later at the mountains in the soul society, four people walked out from one of the distortions. They were all at least on the level of some of the stronger lieutenants. One of them was even a familiar face to some of the soul reapers

"What was that quake earlier?" one of the mystery person asked

"How am I supposed to know that?" another one grumbled back

"Think it was something from the citadel?" the third guy asked, looking at the fourth

The fourth guy on the other hand, merely looked at one of the things he was carrying and he found something intruiging

"Hey, I'm talking to you." the third guy grumbled

"Oh I'm sorry." the last guy said. "I just found something very intruiging."

"What is it?" the first guy asked

"It seems that if an individual with decent enough power passes through, then the distortion stabilizes a bit more, making it easier to manipulate." the fourth guy answered

"Then that means we should be able to open a gateway right here." the second guy commented

"Agreed. However, it's still gonna take a few hours. So go take some defensive positions up ahead and alert me if anyone is coming this way. If they are of significance then leave them alone, if they're nobodies then kill them. Either way, I want an update on whatever it is that's going on." the fourth guy said

"Alright but you better be sure you know what you're doing otherwise he's gonna have our heads for this." the first guy said and left with the other two

As soon as the other three have left, the fourth guy decided to contact the citadel. "It's me. The experiment is a success. We have made it to the other side without it. For how long it will last, I do not know yet."

-**Karakura Town-**

As soon as the quake died down, Kisuke immediately went to his radar to see if anything or anyone was in town. However, it seems that the quake has slightly thrown off the radar as it didn't detect a thing, not even Aizen arrival just earlier. This caused Kisuke some concern and immediately tried to see if it malfunction or if it was damaged in any way

"I'm going. I need to check on Yuzu and Karin." Isshin said and promptly left. While he was leaving though, he didn't even think on who he should check first as both his daughters were in different places and this made him worry even more. However, he was slightly relieved when someone contacted him with a communication device he was carrying

"Hey, Isshin." the voice from the device said

"Yeah, who is this?" Isshin asked as he stopped for a bit

"It's Bambi. Me and Candice just checked on Karin right now and she's fine, along with her friends. She's still here in the park but they appear to be a bit shook up." Bambietta answered

"Alright, thank you. I'll head back home then and check on Yuzu. Have Karin come home now and if the kids need it, accompany them back home as well." Isshin said in a serious voice. The girls were a bit surprised at this but knew they shouldn't have been

"I understand. Meet you there in a few minutes." Bambietta answered and hung up. "Well, you heard the man." she said and soon, she and Candice went to Karin

As soon as Isshin had left, Yoruichi immediately went to get herself one of the comms while Kisuke went with Tessai to check on their radar thing. She decided to contact Ginjo about this since she knew Candice and Bambietta would be busy with one of Ichigo's sisters, or maybe both

"Ginjo, it's Yoruichi." she said through the comms

"What is it? Do you guys know anything about that quake?" Ginjo asked

"We don't. We're trying to see if anything has happened. Kisuke is checking his radar right now. I need you to go to the cities outside of town and see if there is anyone suspicious." Yoruichi ordered

"But haven't we been doing that for a while now with no results?" Tsukishima pointed out

"We have, but this time, something significant has actually happened and we may actually find anything." Ginjo argued back. "Yoruichi, I'll have the sternritters do the same. Can you check the town while we're out there?"

"I was already planning on doing it." Yoruichi said and hung up

"Alright, Tsukishima, contact the other sternritters and inform them of what we're doing. Have them meet us on the end of town." Ginjo ordered

Tsukishima nodded at this and grabbed his own comms before barking something

When Yoruichi was done barking orders, Ryuken walked into the room she was in

"I'll go check on Uryu and the other kids. Let us know if you find anything." Ryuken said

"Yeah. I'll be going out as well. Maybe now, we'll finally be able to find out something." Yoruichi said and left with Ryuken

At the visored's warehouse

"Well, you heard him. Let's go." Bazz B said

"Who made you boss?" Giselle whined and was bonked on her head by Liltotto

"It's not about being the boss. It's about us being ready. Even if we train this hard, it would be pointless if we don't know what we're facing." Liltotto pointed out

"She's right. We need to go now. The sooner we find out anything, the better." Askin said and they all left the warehouse not long after that

**-Hueco Mundo-**

The arrancars we're also doing similar actions to everyone else. They were now torn of being relieved that what they've been preparing for is finally happening or if they should be afraid since it is another war

When the quake died down, Ulquiorra immediately got his comms. "Rudborrn, check the radar if something or someone entered hueco mundo."

"I just did master Ulquiorra. I picked up none. Perhaps this is a malfunction so I'm sending some of the exequias out to personally check." Rudbornn responded

"Very well then." Ulquiorra said before the other espadas joined in on the chatter

"Is everyone alright?" Starrk asked

"I'm fine." Ulquiorra answered simply

"Us as well. Me and Harribel are in Aizen's databank." Nel answered

"We're fine as well. We're training right below where Starrk is." Sung Sun said

"Sending the exequias out now." Rudbornn reported and his soldiers headed straight for the main gates

"Rudbornn, open up a pathway to the canopy. I'll try to see if I can pick something up from up there." Starrk said as he headed to the fifth tower since that was the only way directly to the canopy. While not part of the original design, Ulquiorra thought it would be best to create another gate up there so they can see out into the desert for events such as this. The entrance to the fortress from above the canopy could be sealed off from the inside rather easily so an attack from up there wouldn't be much of an issue. That's not even counting how difficult it is to climb up there

"Wait, where are you right now Starrk?" Harribel asked

"I'm still on my way to the tower. Why?" Starrk asked

"Use the modified binoculars that Aizen had in his vault. We're not that far from it so I'll get it to you as soon as I can." Harribel said

"Alright. I'll wait in the tower." Starrk said

"Very well. If you're not doing anything, then assume a defensive position inside the fortress. Rudbornn, ready the barrier to be raised if we need it." Ulquiorra ordered

"Yes, master Ulquiorra." Rudbornn said and all of them hung up soon after that

"Well, you heard him. Let's go." Dondochakka said and left the immediate area to do what Ulquiorra ordered

**-World of the Living-**

Aizen just arrived in town. He wanted to head to the Urahara shop but he felt Ichigo somewhere in the hills nearby so he instead decided to find him instead, just for some confirmation. Not only that, he also felt that the quincies and fullbringers moving out. It didn't take a genius as to figure out why as it was obvious they wanted to know what the cause of that quake was

With Ichigo

'What the hell was that?'

_"It seems that the seal has finally broken."_

'You said that it would break the moment Yhwach would be gone from this world.'

**"We did. The fact that it took this long for it to completely break is a testament as to how powerful they are."**

'Are you for real? How are we supposed to deal with those guys if they're that strong?'

"**You felt it yourself the last time you left the royal palace. Something is not right about the soul king and you know it as well."**

_"Indeed. It is possible that they are not the real enemy. Remember what we told you, we do not know all of the details yet."_

'I guess you're right. I might as well continue my search for that place then.'

"**That's a good idea."**

While Ichigo left, he began to think about what his inner spirits told him after his first trip to the royal palace

_Flashback_

_"__Ichigo, there is one more thing you should know. It is about what happens should Yhwach be killed__."_

_'What is it?'_

_"__**Well, you see Ichigo, Yhwach is not the only son of the soul king."**_

_This mention stunned Ichigo. He didn't even consider this possibility to be honest even after how he has opened up his mind. This was one thing that he never even thought of possible. 'What did you say?'_

_"__**You heard it right Ichigo. Yhwach actually has a sibling. One thing you should note though, remember when we said that we don't have all of Yhwach's knowledge, this is where it comes in."**_

_Ichigo then decided to enter his inner world in order to talk with his inner spirits face to face_

_"How come you don't have it then?"_

_"__Because despite all the quincies being linked due to Yhwach's own blood, if he really wants to keep something a secret, there is nothing anyone can do, even for someone like us. However, not all of it is a secret__."_

_"I see. So who is his sibling then?"_

_**"The soul king's first born. His name is Zhakuro."**_

_Ichigo just kept his silence as he was too shocked at this revelation. White and Zangetsu took this as a sign to continue _

_"__Centuries ago, there was only one world, not three as it exists today. However, one day, the soul king, who's real name is Yuzuru, had a fight with Zhakuro. Whatever the reason of their dispute is something that Yhwach does not want anyone to know and as such, we do not know what it is__."_

_"What happened after that?"_

_"__**He was defeated and sealed away, along with his four closest friends and warriors, who were known as 'the four horsemen'."**_

_"__That is not all Ichigo. During the start of the war, Yhwach initially sided with Yuzuru as he thought that his older brother had gone insane. This eventually led to Zhakuro being sealed away after nearly a century's worth of fighting. What Yhwach did not know at the time, is that his father actually bound the seal to his very life, meaning that in a way, he was cursed. One thousand years ago, he found out about the curse__."_

_"Why did it take him that long to find out about it?"_

_"__**Ichigo, this is something you need to understand, the powers that are at the soul king's disposal, far surpasses even your own and even Yhwach's. Zhakuro himself is also nearly as powerful as Yuzuru. I wouldn't be surprised if many would even consider it as magic. That's just how strong the primordial powers are. You might be able to reach their level, but that would take you a very long time, much longer than what we have. This is why it took a very long time for Yhwach to find out about it. It goes to show how potent it is."**_

_**"**__Indeed. When Yhwach discovered the curse a thousand years ago, he was furious and that is when he first created the quincy, by giving his blood to drink to random humans. This took him nearly a century of preparing and when he felt he was ready, he waged war on those who were defending the soul king, and by extension, the original captains of the thirteen court guard squads. However, since they did not kill Yhwach, the curse was still in effect despite him being unconscious for nearly a thousand years__."_

_"So, everyone thinks he is a madman when in reality, he just wanted to lift that curse." Ichigo saiid thoughtfully. "That still doesn't explain something. Why the soul king didn't bother to do anything when Yhwach waged war on the first captains?"_

_"__**This is where it gets complicated and the part which Yhwach wants to keep secret. Whatever the reason for that war centuries ago, is something only the royal family would know. Even if someone else does, they're probably dead by now. And by the time Yhwach waged war on the soul reapers, the soul king has already sealed himself in a state of suspended animation to keep the worlds in balance."**_

_**"**__I see. So that's why he just let Yhwach wage war on them." Ichigo said, now adopting a thoughtful expression_

_"__So what will you do now, Ichigo__?"_

_Ichigo was silent after this as he was still contemplating his next move. He wanted to kill Yhwach but this complicates things. "There's still so much we don't know. Is there a way to find out about this?"_

_**"There is but right now, it's too risky. It involves you finding a specific location however, once you do find it, the wandenreich will most likely be alerted to an intruder in the place and you might risk revealing that you still have your powers."**_

_**"**__I see. Now this is really complicated. Whatever the case, the fact that to lift a curse, he would be willing to destroy everything, well, I'm not gonna let Yhwach do that and I highly doubt he would be willing to work with anyone to achieve his goal." Ichigo said while still retaining his thoughtful expression_

_"__**That's a fair assessment. As Yhwach is probably the only one who knows how the original world was split and I think he also wants to restore everything back to the way it was."**_

_"So where was Zhakuro sealed away?"_

_"__He was sealed in__..."_

_Flashback End_

Ichigo was still in the hills. In his search for that specific place, he made sure to leave no stone unturned, literally. According to his inner spirits, this was where it would be but weeks of searching and still nothing

'Hey, when you told me about the soul king's firstborn months ago, there was something else you didn't mention wasn't there?'

"**What do you mean?"**

'I've been thinking. You seem to imply that Zhakuro isn't the bad guy here.'

"**I didn't. It was just a possibility to consider. You felt it yourself, something is not right about the soul king. Besides, why would you bind a seal to your own son in the first place? That part alone confused me. I mean, the soul reapers seem to think that the soul king is this benevolent god or something and this action contradicts that."**

**'**Yeah that's a good point. It also seems as if the soul king wants something from me when I left the palace.' Ichigo said as he was looking around. 'Are you sure that place is here?'

_"It is here, somewhere."_

'How are you so sure? I've been searching for like two weeks now and still nothing.'

_"Ichigo, what do you know about the enriched spirit zone?"_

'That it's a place where souls are drawn to. That's what Kisuke said anyway.'

_"That information is incomplete. The location of the enriched spirit zone actually changes overtime. Around every thirty to forty years, it relocates to a different location. Not only that, it is the only place in the world of the living where reishi can be found."_

'What? I thought that the world of the living had reishi in it just in much lower quantity than in other places?'

"**Nobody knows about this except Yhwach, Ichigo. This shouldn't come as a surprise as all the spiritual activity in the world of the living happens only in the enriched spirit zone, and hollows and soul reapers only come to this zone and nowhere else. Even quincies are only in the enriched spirit zone. In fact, on average, the enriched spirit zone has about forty to fifty mile radius from its center, and I'm not about talking about the town. I'm talking about the center point of the zone itself."**

**'**Wait, back up a bit. You said that spiritual beings only come to the enriched spirit zone right? What about the souls that are in town?'

"**Haven't you noticed Ichigo? Most of the souls that are in town are not native to the town. Most of them are people that died somewhere else, became drawn to the enriched spirit zone and thus made their way there. You really should have noticed this as the death rate and the number of souls don't match up."**

'I did wonder just how come there are always so many souls there. But you said it changes every thirty years, how come the town is still the enriched spirit zone?'

_"That is because of spiritual activity. The more spiritual activity that happens in the enriched spirit zone, the longer it will take before it changes location. Not only that, powerful spiritual beings, which at minimum would be a lieutenant level without the spirit restriction seal, would also delay the relocation should they enter the spirit zone."_

'I see. And since a large amount of powerful spiritual beings and spiritual activity happened in town in just a short amount of time, it's gonna remain the enriched spirit zone for a long time. How long would it remain though?'

"**There's no way to know for sure. On a wild guess, maybe around sixty to eighty more years." **

**'**That's a really long time. So are you sure that place is here then?' Ichigo asked, going back to what he was even doing here

_"Yes Ichigo. You know by now that quincies need reishi to be able to fight. If reishi is not in the vicinity, then they will only be limited to using their unique powers. As such, when Yhwach had it built, the first quincies bound it to the enriched spirit zone. When the zone relocates, it will also relocate."_

**"That's not all. About the enriched spirit zone, while it's diameter is only a hundred miles, the highest concentration of reishi is only found at about half of that value. The further from the center you go, the quality of reishi diminishes. Beyond the hundred mile diameter, there is no reishi at all. If there are, then it's so miniscule that it would be next to imposssible to notice."**

'So, even beyond this half of a hundred mile diameter, I can still find that place?'

_"Yes and a fifty mile diameter is already large enough so finding it on your own is not gonna be easy, nor is it gonna be quick."_

'You got that right. I should just slice up this whole mountain range and be done with it."

"**If you do, you might end up damaging what you're looking for and you won't be able to find the clues we need."**

**'**I know I know.' Ichigo whined. He really just wanted to slice up the whole range. 'This is gonna take a while.' he said before resuming his search. Instead of slicing up the mountain, he decided to just carve it out. If he can carve out a mountain, it meant it's a regular one. However, if something odd actually happens while trying to carve out a side of a mountain, then it probably means he has nearly found it

Ichigo did that same process of trying to cut up a mountain using his getsuga jujisho and still found nothing. Whatever the quincies have built a long time ago, was incredibly well hidden. He just used his getsuga on another mountain with the same results, nothing. Just before he could move on to another one, a very familiar weapon was flying his way. Ichigo saw this and just tilted his body to dodge it. It was only then that he realized that he had been so caught up with what his inner spirits just told him and by his search that he forgot to pay attention to his pesquisa. The one who owned the weapon was someone he was familiar with and probably someone he owed some payback too. However, the owner, despite looking the same as the last time Ichigo saw him, looked slightly different

"So you have come, Nnoitra Gilga." Ichigo said as he glared down the newcomer, who just stood there with his usual grin, obviously eager for a fight. One that Ichigo was more than willing to give him

-**Mountains in the Soul Society-**

It was nearly dusk but by now, the fourth guy has finally finished opening the gateway. Once the gateway was opened, four more people, along with a small army of the mysterious creatures entered the soul society

"You have done well." the apparent leader of the new arrivals said

"Thank you. However, I must admit, I did not expect it to be finished so soon." the one responsible for the opening of the gateway responded honestly

"Do not be surprised. When you initiated the process to open the gateway, we also helped from the other side, thereby hastening the process." the apparent leader said

"There is something else you should know." one of the men who came earlier said

"What is it?" one of the new arrivals asked

"After that tremor we all felt earlier, the soul reapers have dispatched three captains to investigate the cause. It is possible that they might wander into these mountains after investigating the rukongai district." the man answered

"I see." the leader said before looking at the one who opened the gate. "Can you find a way to hide the gateway, Szayelaparro?"

"I will try my best but no promises yet." Szayelaparro answered respectfully

"Very well then. I will head on to the rukongai district. You guys stay here and help Szayelaparro with whatever he needs. Nothing can go wrong in this invasion." the leader ordered

"But won't that leave you open to assault if you're found out?" another one of the men who came earlier asked

"It will not. The night will provide me with the cover I need and my powers will allow me to take advantage of the rukongai citizens." the leader answered

"I see. So when will we launch the invasion? You only brought a small army with you and even with the thirteen court guard squads weakened, they would still pose a threat if this is all you brought." Szayelaparro pointed out

"Let me worry about that. Now go execute your orders. We subjugate the seireitei in two days." the leader ordered and the others nodded at this

* * *

**Note that the characters in this story are purely fictional and are not meant to represent any person or organization**

**Here is the first of the ones with no chapter title, although it's probably redundant since it shouldn't be too hard to guess who the enemies are. That being said, i did decide to give Yhwach a bit of backstory and a decent motivation. I don't like that guy and I never will but I do think that even he deserves some sort of backstory. I also have one planned for Aizen but that's gonna be for a future chapter**

**Also, you probably have many questions or noticed some plot holes in the flashback part. All of that was intentional. I did not want Ichigo to know everything just yet so the truth of this all will be revealed in a future chapter**


	50. Chapter 49

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Forty Nine - Old Enemies, New Faces**

**-World of the Living-**

"Nnoitra Gilga." Ichigo said as he glared down the one who attacked him

Nnoitra released a small maniacal laughter as Ichigo mentioned his name. "So you do remember me, soul reaper." he said with his usual grin

"Of course I do." Ichigo simply responded. "So, what's up with the new look? Found some chains to play with?" he asked curiously. While Nnoitra looked mostly the same, he did have some sort of chains in various parts of his body

"This?" Nnoitra asked as he held up one of the chains on him. "Just some new toys to torture my enemies."

"Really? I thought that was to keep pests like you from going loose?" Ichigo said mockingly

"What did you say, soul reaper?!" Nnoitra yelled in anger. "Have you forgotten our last encounter?!"

"Of course I don't. During that time, you were so pathetic that you can only pick on someone who is reeling from a recent fight. You couldn't even kill Kenpachi, although that should have been no surprise." Ichigo said still in a mocking voice with his eyes now turning black

"Shut your mouth soul reaper! You're so pathetic that you couldn't even do anything to me." Nnoitra yelled in an effort to remind Ichigo of their last encounter

"Oh yeah..." Ichigo trailed off. "... because you can't pick on anyone who's at full strength. How sad is it for you that you can't even beat Nel, who was someone you considered to be beneath you and that you had to rely on cheap tricks just to get the jump. I always wondered how someone like you even became an espada in Aizen's army." he said mockingly, his voice was now slightly warped with his eyes still black, although his hollowfication markings didn't appear

Now this lit up all fuses inside of Nnoitra. "Damn you, soul reaper!" he yelled and charged at Ichigo. He attempted to bisect Ichigo but to his surprise, Ichigo merely caught his blade with his bare hand. What Nnoitra didn't know is that blue grid like patterns appeared all over Ichigo's body however he couldn't see it since Ichigo had used the reishi to fix his sleeve when he first arrived here. While it was nowhere near the quality if Senjumaru fixed it herself, it was good enough. 'What?!' Nnoitra wondered in a panic

Ichigo on the other hand, didn't really need to use his blut vene. The difference in power between him and Nnoitra now is so huge that the former espada doesn't have any hope of cutting Ichigo. However, Ichigo decided to toy with him for a while, just for some payback. Normally, he wouldn't do this considering how urgent his search is, but the influence of his inner hollow when he hollowfies and lack of control over his negative emotions caused him to indulge himself. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." he said mockingly as he let go of Nnoitra's blade while said person retreated

"Don't get too cocky soul reaper. That was just a fluke." Nnoitra declared confidently and put out his tongue, charging a golden cero

This did not faze Ichigo at all as when Nnoitra shot out the cero, he merely grabbed his bow and fired an arrow, completely shooting right through the cero while destroying it and the arrow headed right at Nnoitra, who was forced to dodge

"Since when do soul reapers use bows?" Nnoitra wondered aloud, shocked at the weapon Ichigo used and how he dealt with his cero like it was nothing

"Well, who really knows?" Ichigo replied mockingly before firing another arrow, forcing Nnoitra to dodge

This time, Nnoitra counter attacked with some balas, all of which Ichigo just knocked away by swinging his bow around. However, this was exactly what Nnoitra wanted as he used this chance to flash towards Ichigo and finish him off. Ichigo was not at all intimidated by this move as when Nnoitra got close, he himself flashed right in front of Nnoitra and kicked him right in the abdomen, causing the former espada to lose his momentum. Ichigo didn't let up as he grabbed the chains while putting his bow on his back and pulled him closer while grabbing his one of his blades. Caught off guard by Ichigo's speed, Nnoitra was helpless as Ichigo's sword cleanly cut through his body, inflicting a large wound from his lower abdomen towards his left shoulder before putting it away again

'What the hell? Just how much power did he gain?' Nnoitra wondered, bleeding while looking at his opponent, whose eyes are still black with a grin on his face

"Is that all you've got now, Nnoitra Gilga?" Ichigo mocked him once more

"Don't mock me soul reaper." Nnoitra said venomously while gathering his spirit energy. "Don't you forget, that I am the strongest. Now pray..." he said while raising his blade. "... Santa Teresa!" he yelled, releasing a massive volume of spirit energy as his resurreccion was released. It was mostly the same except the chains were still there. When it died down, he stood there with all his six arms each holding a scythe but the scythes did look a bit different. They now looked like they have been scarred from multiple battles

It was also at this moment that Aizen arrived. He already knew Ichigo was in this area and he soon felt Nnoitra enter here as well. It seems that there was a distortion somewhere in this area. Aizen was about to interfere in this match but he noticed that Ichigo was just toying with his former subordinate. So instead, he decided to just observe the fight between his former enemy and his former subordinate

Kisuke also picked up when Nnoitra finally went loud and released his resurreccion. He immediately went to a communication device and contacted everyone through a group call. "Hey, this is Kisuke. You guys felt that surge in power?"

"We did. It's far away from town, though." Candice answered. "Is anyone near that area?"

"I'm not. Me and the kids are searching the town. Ginjo..." Yoruichi trailed off

"We're too far away. We're basically the furthest away from it." Ginjo said as he and Tsukishima stopped from their search

"This is bad. Can anyone go see what this is?" Isshin asked, hoping to finally to get some answers over these last few weeks. "Who's the closest to that location?"

"Not us. Me, Bazz B and Cang Du are just a few clicks away from where Ginjo and Tsukishima are." Askin replied

"We're also inside the town and that fight is quite a distance away." Ryuken said

"Indeed. It would take a while for us to reach there." Uryu added as he was with Chad and Orihime

"I guess that only leaves us then. We're in the northeastern outskirts of the town, in the city next door. Is anyone else closer to it?" Liltotto asked and received only negative responses from everyone else

"Alright. We three will go check this out but it would still take us some time to get there." Meninas pointed out

"That's alright. Just as long as you can find traces of spirit energy it should be good enough. At least we will finally have something to go on." Kisuke said and soon, they all hung up

Meanwhile, Ichigo and Nnoitra were still glaring at each other. The former espada had just finished releasing his resurreccion but the two did nothing, yet. Annoyed by this, Nnoitra decided to attack Ichigo. He was confident that his multiple arms would allow him to attack and defend at the same time but he was dead wrong as Ichigo merely fired an arrow, neatly cutting off one of his arms, much to his surprise. 'What?' Nnoitra wondered in shock. He was given no chance to wonder too much as Ichigo quickly flashed in front of him and tried to hit him with the spikes on his bow, forcing Nnoitra to dodge. The former espada quickly counter attacked with four of his arms

Ichigo quickly countered this by punching and kicking away all of the arms, surprising Nnoitra once more. "Have you forgotten? Speed is my specialty." Ichigo said before kicking Nnoitra away

This time, Nnoitra was finally able to collect himself and regenerated his arm. He was not at all pleased at his situation. He couldn't even make his opponent draw his sword and that infuriated him to no end. Deciding not to complain about it for too long, Nnoitra inflicted a minor wound on one of his arms before touching the blood with another wound with another hand. He then pointed his bloodied fingers at Ichigo and charged a gran rey cero. To his satisfaction, Ichigo finally drew his sword, although it was only the one on his hip and used it cut the cero in two, causing an explosion in the forest. Instead of immediately counter attacking, Ichigo swung his sword towards the explosion, causing a massive wind to head to that direction and put out the fire before it could harm anything in the mountain

Using this distraction, Nnoitra immediately attacked Ichigo and managed to force him on the defensive. "So, you finally drew your sword, soul reaper." he said in fury while continuing his assault. Eventually, he managed to force his opponent into a corner. "Ha! This is the end, soul reaper!" he yelled and attempted to cut Ichigo down

Ichigo actually decided to play being on the defensive. When he was cornered, he just activated his blut vene and Nnoitra felt that his blade collided with hard concrete, effectively inflicting zero damage. "Yes I did draw my sword, but I only drew one and not the other." Ichigo pointed out with a smirk. "I haven't even released my shikai yet."

This made Nnoitra's eyes go wide as he thought his opponent was already in bankai. "What did you say?!" he said while still trying to have his sword cut through his cornered opponent

"Have you really gone deaf while in that place?" Ichigo asked before hitting Nnoitra with the hilt of his sword, forcing him away. "I said, I haven't even released my shikai yet."

"Then draw it now!" Nnoitra yelled before slashing down all six of his scythes, releasing a cero with each one

Ichigo didn't even bother to dodge and just let the cero get hit, much to Nnoitra's satisfaction. "Hahahaha! What now soul reaper?!" he asked tauntingly but when Ichigo swung his sword to blow away the smoke and put out the fire, he just stood there, completely unharmed by the cero. "What the hell?! How can you take multiple ceros and emerge unscathed?! Just what are you, soul reaper?!" he demanded to know

"You do know that I have a name right?" Ichigo curiously asked, ignoring the former espada

"I asked you a question and I don't care about the name of a pathetic weakling!" Nnoitra quickly retorted and repeated the process needed to fire a gran rey cero. This time, Ichigo merely caught it in his hand before forcing it to collpase. 'What?! Even a gran rey cero does nothing...' he thought in complete shock. 'Just who is this guy anyway? Is this why Aizen was so interested in him?'

Nnoitra was unable to ponder this any more as it seemed that Ichigo has had enough. This time, he drew the sword that was on his back, very slowly. It immediately forced Nnoitra to take up a defensive stance to protect himself from any attack. But it was a futile effort, the instant Ichigo finished drawing his other sword, he immediately vanished from sight. Nnoitra tried to look for him but it was in vain, as Ichigo was already behind him and slashed him multiple times, cutting him up like butter and effectively slicing parts of his body off, killing him, again. Nnoitra couldn't even begin to comprehend what was happening as he just felt his body cut up and he soon dropped to the ground, with his body completely sliced apart

After slicing up the former espada, Ichigo merely observed his opponent's body for a while before unleashing a torrent of flame, incinerating most his body. While Nnoitra was killed again, it did make Ichigo wonder just which familiar face was he gonna see next, or if he would even see this one again. As he put away his swords, he felt someone approach him from the trees

"Impressive. Just what I would expect from you, Ichigo Kurosaki." Aizen said as he approached, grabbing the attention of said person

Ichigo looked at the source of the voice and saw another one of his former foes. "Aizen. It's been a while hasn't it." he greeted casually with his eyes now returning to normal

"It has. Although I must admit, I never thought you of all people would toy with an opponent." Aizen said with a small smirk, amused at Ichigo's new behavior

"Well, you can't expect someone to remain the same for eternity now do you?" Ichigo retorted back

"You do have a point." Aizen said and the two of them just stared at each other. There was no hostile intent, merely trying to comprehend what the other wanted. "So, what are you doing here Ichigo Kurosaki? I take it you haven't gone home since you killed Yhwach?"

"Just call me Ichigo alright and no, I haven't gone home yet." Ichigo answered before he felt some people closing in on their location. "You feel it, don't you Aizen?"

"Indeed. Shall we head elsewhere and continue this conversation?" Aizen suggested

"Let's do that." Ichigo answered and soon, they both flashed away to a different area of the forest but not too far away so they can observe whatever would be happening here

Just a few minutes after the two left, the three quincy girls arrived at the battlefield. There was no one around yet it was obvious a fight took place as evidenced by the destroyed trees and unnatural clearings in some areas

"What the hell...?" Liltotto muttered in shock

"Look, this place is all messed up." Giselle said with a goofy smile

"It seems that a battle took place here." Meninas commented

"Look there." Giselle said, pointing to the burnt body of Nnoitra. There were only a few parts that were left intact. Most of his body has already been burned by Ichigo

The other two immediately looked towards said direction and noticed the same thing Giselle did before they went towards the burnt body

"Kisuke, this is Liltotto. We found something here where that surge in power happened. It appears to be a burnt body or something." Liltotto said into her communication device

"I see. Do you have any ideas as to whom it belongs?" Kisuke asked

"Not yet. We just got here but a battle definitely took place. There are some unnatural clearings and trees have been destroyed. It couldn't have been caused by a storm or something since nothing like that happened recently. We're trying to find out what we can now." Liltotto responded

While Giselle was busy checking out the destroyed trees, Meninas noticed something as she was investigating the burnt body and decided to join in on the conversation. "I think this body belonged to a hollow, and a powerful one at that. Maybe even an arrancar." she said

"What makes you say that?" Giselle asked as she sat on one of the trees

"Well, it definitely does not belong to a soul reaper nor a quincy. Aside from the soul reapers being trapped in the soul society and the only quincy remaining were us, this also reeks of a hollow but I must say, something is definitely not right." Meninas answered

"What do you mean by 'not right'?" Liltotto asked

"I'm not sure. All I know is that while the traces of spiritual pressure does belong to a hollow, there's something else. It's almost as if it's more corrupt than an ordinary hollow or arrancar." Meninas explained

Kisuke, who had been listening to the conversation since they haven't hung up yet, narrowed his eyes at this. 'It couldn't be them, could it?' he wondered internally before deciding to give some instructions. "Alright, just see what else you can find. I'll contact las noches and see what they know about it."

"Okay. One more thing though, I think Ichigo was the one who fought this battle." Giselle quickly said

"How do you know?" Meninas asked

"Well, it's only a guess but from the traces of the spiritual pressure, I can only feel one and Ichigo is the only one who's spiritual pressure we cannot sense." Giselle said thoughtfully. This did surprise her two companions a bit as they never thought she had any observation skills at all

"I see. Can you bring whatever you can find over to the shop after you're done investigating?" Kisuke requested

"Of course. It will take us a while though." Liltotto answered before they hung up

The three of them then checked out the nearby surrounding area. To their surprise, only the immediate area had anything significant that happened. It seems that the battle between this hollow and Ichigo didn't go somewhere else. Giselle checked out a sliced up tree and thought that it was the hollow that destroyed it. The other two also came to the same conclusion as they couldn't think of a reason as to why Ichigo would destroy this area, if he was truly the one who fought that battle. Nearly an hour later, the three had enough of the investigation. Since the battle only took place here, there was really no reason to go somewhere else. Even after checking the clearings, it was obvious that it was caused by a cero. Once they were done, Meninas took the burnt body parts with her as they left for the Urahara shop

What the three girls didn't know is that from a nearby elevation, Ichigo had been observing them along with Aizen. The two chatted about some stuff for a bit while they observed the girls investigate the battlefield but they made sure not to make too much noise in order to hide their presence

"Interesting. I take it you intentionally left parts of Nnoitra's body for them to find?" Aizen asked once the girls left

"I did. Just to give them some idea of who we're fighting." Ichigo answered

"We? Interesting that you assume that I am also fighting them." Aizen commented with a smirk

"It is the only explanation. Otherwise, why else would you be here? If you really were working with them then they should be here by now. Instead, only Nnoitra was here." Ichigo pointed out

"That's a good point and yes. I am also against them." Aizen said, amused that Ichigo was actually thinking about things rather than just mindlessly letting things happen or jumping to conclusions

"I thought so. I guess there really is more to you than you let everyone think." Ichigo said thoughtfully, piquing Aizen's attention

"What do you mean by that?" Aizen asked curiously

"During our last battle, Zangetsu and Kyoka Suigetsu had a little chat of their own." Ichigo said before looking at Aizen, who was now genuinely curious. "It seems that your zanpakuto told mine about your true motives although the only thing he mentioned to me was that you were betrayed by the soul society even before you were a lieutenant."

Aizen was caught off guard by this information as he never expected this at all. 'Is that true?' he asked internally

"**Yes. I told Zangetsu the truth about you. He was the only trustworthy zanpakuto and it seemed that Ichigo Kurosaki would help you should he realize the truth." **Kyoka Suigetsu answered him

'I never asked you to do that.' Aizen said, slightly irritated

"**You don't have to ask me for anything, Sosuke. Unlike Zangetsu, my only goal is to help you as I know what you went through. I also take from you when planning ahead and knew that Ichigo Kurosaki would be your ally the moment he learned the truth."** Kyoka Suigetsu answered

'I see.' Aizen responded, now a bit amused at how his zanpakuto actually took from him. "Did Zangetsu mention anything else?" he asked after his little chat with his zanpakuto

"Nope. Only a very vague background about you. Although, I did check the archives in the central forty six and found something interesting. It was about a family who was branded as traitors after one of them came back from this world." Ichigo said and noticed that Aizen had adopted a shock expression. Unlike when he caught his blade with his bare hand during their battle, this shock didn't seem to be about arrogance but one about sadness. "I take it that information was true then?"

Aizen just stared at Ichigo for a while, who also returned the gesture, waiting for him to answer the question. Eventually, Aizen gave in. "Yes, that is true. Also, my real name isn't Sosuke Aizen. It is Ryozo Kasumioji." he said, sadness evident in his tone

"What happened?" Ichigo asked, it seems that Aizen trusted him enough about this

"That woman in the records, her name was Amaya Kasumioji..." Aizen trailed off before replying hesitantly. "... and she was my mother." he finished, looking at Ichigo, who now appeared to be sad himself, and for the first time since they fought, he actually showed sympathy to someone. "My mother was sent on a mission to exercise the hollows in the enriched spirit zone about two hundred years ago. During that time, she found out about the seal that contains one of the soul king's sons and since that was on the last day on her mission here, she came back just the day after. She told me about the soul society's dark secret and just two days after, the guards came in and arrested all of our family. We were accused of treason and by the orders of the soul king himself, we were to be executed. Nobody even bothered to question the order. I only escaped because I already learned shikai then." he finished sadly

"I'm sorry." Ichigo said as he could only look at Aizen in shock. It was actually the first time he saw this man adopt an expression that was neither arrogance or a knowing one. Internally, he was furious at this as seeing that a family was executed just to keep a secret. Now he really regretted allying himself with them, although he couldn't really blame them much since stuff like this seemed to be top secret. But, there was one thing that did cause a bit of confusion. "How did your mother know about the soul king's firstborn?"

"She didn't. All she discovered was that someone very powerful was sealed away. It was I who discovered it on my own." Aizen responded and received a look that basically told him to explain that. "I take it you are aware of the distortions that have been happening since Yhwach's death?" he asked and Ichigo nodded. "You see, Ichigo, these distortions aren't limited to happen only when Yhwach is dead. These distortions do happen from time to time although it is incredibly rare. One of these happened when my mother was on duty and when she looked at it, she saw the seal as well as some other creatures on the other side. While she was not sure who or what the creatures was, she could tell that the ones inside the seal was someone from the soul society. She was never able to gather more details." he said before looking at the sky. "When my family was ordered to be executed, I exiled myself from the seireitei and lived in the rukongai district, adopting the name 'Sosuke Aizen' as to hide any traces of my real identity. Years later when I finally mastered bankai, I secretly went to the world of the living as to find any clues as to what my mother found. By this time, I already learned about Yhwach through the archives and I also found a distortion. From what I felt, it seems that the power inside was similar to a quincy's and that it was very strong, even stronger than the late head captain's."

"How did you determine the level of power on the seal?" Ichigo curiously asked

"By going near one of them. I discovered that if you stay near a distortion for a prolonged period of time, you can do more than simply gaze upon the other side. You can actually feel some of the spiritual pressure there although it won't be a hundred percent accurate so that guess was merely a rough estimate." Aizen explained

"I see. So you figured that it would be related to Yhwach after that?" Ichigo asked

"Indeed. It was the only explanation as according the history of the soul society, only the members of the royal family had that kind of power. The conclusion about whoever was sealed being the firstborn actually came from you." Aizen pointed out, surprising Ichigo a bit

"How did you know that the seal was bound to Yhwach's life?" Ichigo pointed out

"I didn't. It was only a theory and I was never able to prove it. I only theorized it as when I investigated the distortions, the seal seemed too powerful for an ordinary seal and that it was different from one, almost like it was drawing power from something. If that was true, then only the head captain, or someone of similar level, could have enough power to sustain it. Considering that the head captain was oblivious to this, the only logical conclusion was Yhwach." Aizen answered thoughtfully

"I see. So you're only goal this whole time was to take vengeance upon the soul king?" Ichigo curiously asked

"At first, yes, which is why I did the things I did, so that I can gain enough power to take over the soul king. However, during the course of my research, I became less and less concerned about vengeance and realized that it would be a reckless course of action. So while I still continued what I was doing, I decided to use it to gather all the information about the royal family. To do that, there was only one way..." Aizen trailed off

"To rip the information out of the soul king." Ichigo said and received a nod from Aizen. "And if the balance of the worlds was disrupted by doing so, then the answer to fix it would be revealed from the soul king's own knowledge." he said once more. "Although, I do wonder as to why the soul king didn't do anything to stop you."

Aizen was silent at this as he too was curious as to why the soul king just let him do it. "How did you know about all this Ichigo?"

"Zangetsu told me everything. From the truth about Yhwach as well as myself. He knew about Yhwach as according to him, all quincies are linked through his blood. Said blood works both ways as while it gives one quincy powers, it also grants the person the knowledge Yhwach has..." Ichigo trailed off

"However this can only be done by those who have an enormous amount of opposite power and since the only opposite power to a quincy is a hollow since quincies are still humans." Aizen finished in realization and got a nod from Ichigo. "And I take it you are the only one who achieved such a state since you are a hybrid of all three races." he said before looking at where Ichigo fought Nnoitra. "So what are you doing here in the first place?"

"Looking for the Ursprüngliches Reich." Ichigo responded simply

"What's that?" Aizen asked

"When Yhwach first created the quincy a thousand years ago, they built a fortress to be their base of operations called the ursprüngliches reich. I will not go into detail but it is here somewhere and the quincies have hidden it very well." Ichigo answered

"I see and based on how you said it, you have no plans to inform anyone about this, do you?" Aizen pointed out

"I can't afford to worry about anyone anymore Aizen. This war is much bigger than the last and if I hesitate, it could mean the end of everything. Whether the real enemy is the soul king, his firstborn or them." Ichigo answered with a hint of sadness, which Aizen picked up on

"I understand. It seems we are the only two cursed with this knowledge." Aizen commented while Ichigo merely stared at him

"What about you? What have you been doing since Yhwach's death?" Ichigo curiously asked

"I have been looking for the distortions. There is much we don't know about it and I have found nothing much in the soul society." Aizen answered

"I see. Well, do you wanna talk about anything else?" Ichigo asked and received a negative nod. "In that case, I might as well continue my search. Do whatever you want." he said and left

Aizen just looked at the direction Ichigo headed. 'Seems like the kid was really serious about doing this alone.' he thought to himself. He decided to head to karakura town to inform Kisuke about Nnoitra. While he should know by now, they do deserve to know the truth, well part of it however, he still hasn't decided on whether or not he should tell him about what Ichigo is planning to do

-**Karakura Town-**

The three quincy girls have arrived a few hours earlier, carrying the scorched remains that they found. At nearly dusk, Ulquiorra arrived along with Nel in Kisuke's underground training area

"Hello Ulquiorra, Nel. It's been a while." Kisuke greeted jovially as they entered the training area

"Good to see you too Kisuke, Tessai." Nel greeted back with a smile

"Indeed." Ulquiorra said simply. "So, where is this remains that you found?"

"Right this way." Kisuke said, still in a gleeful tone as he led the two arrancars to where Isshin, the five quincy girls and Yoruichi was, The others were not here since it was getting late. When they arrived, the two arrancars immediately recognized as to whom it belongs as there was a very familiar blade among it, and froze in shock

This did not go unnoticed and immediately, everyone knew that the two arrancars knew who's remains this belonged

"You know who this was, don't you?" Isshin asked

"We do. This belonged to an espada killed by one of the captains, Nnoitra Gilga." Ulquiorra answered, shocking everyone

"Why does that name sound kinda familiar?" Candice asked curiously

"Because the one who killed him was Kenpachi Zaraki." Nel pointed out, and the quincies realized why it was familiar as Nnoitra was part of Zaraki's data

"But if he's dead, how did he come back?" Yoruichi asked

"If this truly is one of Aizen's former espada, then I think I know how he came back." Kisuke said grimly, drawing all eyes to him. Before he could continue, a voice from out of nowhere was heard and it got everyone's attention

"Because Nnoitra Gilga is now a sinner." the voice said. Everyone's eyes darted to the source and saw Aizen approaching them from the ladder to the underground

"Aizen..." Isshin said in shock

Everyone stood there staring at Aizen in silence, until Bambietta asked the inevitable

"How did you even get in here Aizen?" Bambietta asked curiously

"The door was unlocked and there was no one upstairs so I made my way down here." Aizen answered casually

"Regardless, I take it you know what this is about?" Ulquiorra asked, not even bothering with minor stuff

"Indeed. The sinners have appeared. Nnoitra was just one among them." Aizen answered, widening the eyes of everyone

"Sinners? Do you mean the ones in hell?" Meninas asked in shock

"The very same." Aizen confirmed, shocking them even further

"But how? I thought there are guards called 'Kushanadas' to keep the sinners in check?" Yoruichi asked

"Hell is not that simple, Yoruichi Shihoin." Aizen said and got looks that basically said continue. "The sinners have an army beneath the surface of hell. I will not go into detail as to how I know about it but this is also what Ichigo is doing. Even deeper than where the sinner army is, lies a seal."

"A seal?" Liltotto asked curiously

"Yes. It contains the soul king's firstborn." Aizen replied, as if the shock from hearing they were dealing with sinners was not enough

"Hold on. Firstborn? I thought Yhwach was the only child of the soul king?" Isshin pointed out

"He isn't. This is a dark secret of the soul society. Whether anyone else knows about it is unknown and irrelevant. The seal was bound to Yhwach's own life. When Ichigo finally killed him, the seal started to break. Do you remember that massive tremor?" Aizen asked and got nods from everyone. "That tremor was a result of the seal being completely broken."

"But that tremor only happened five weeks after Yhwach's death." Giselle pointed out

"That just goes to show you how powerful the soul king's firstborn is if it took that long for the seal to completely break." Aizen retorted

"This is bad. So first these sinners, and now the soul king's firstborn." Isshin said

"Not necessarily." Aizen said, drawing everyone's attention once more

"What do you mean by that?" Nel asked

"Ichigo and I think that there is much more to the firstborn than what we know. The one who sealed him away and bound the seal to Yhwach's life was the soul king himself." Aizen explained, which only added to the shock everyone felt

"So Yhwach's goal all along was to unbind the seal from his life?" Ulquiorra asked

Now Bambietta grew suspicious. Did Ichigo lie to her?

"Indeed. While that was one of his goals, it still remains that he wanted to destroy the worlds entirely. You see, a long time ago, there were no three worlds, only one and Yhwach wanted to turn everything back to that one world." Aizen explained, not even bother with the details as they were irrelevant since Yhwach was dead. Nothing anyone could do about it now

"That still doesn't explain something. How did the sinners get here? Or even get out of hell for that matter?" Kisuke pointed out

"The seal didn't only bind the firstborn, it also kept the barriers up between hell and the other worlds. Yes, over time there were some distortions in space. These distortions would lead you to hell however, they were incredibly rare and it seems they are far too weak to let someone of decent power pass." Aizen explained. "When Yhwach was killed, the barriers became weak enough for individuals with decent power to pass through."

"So that's how the sinners got here." Candice said in realization. "Were there any sinners you found, other than Nnoitra?"

"No. I have been searching for one in the soul society since Yhwach was killed and I haven't found anyone. These distortions are incredibly hard to find and if someone else has actually passed through, I might have missed said individual." Aizen answered

"I see." Ulquiorra said simply

"So that still leaves us with the waiting game." Isshin said before asking that one question. "Aizen, do you know what Ichigo is doing or where he is?"

"I do know where he is but at his request, I won't say anything." Aizen lied as he understood the position Ichigo was in. "What he is doing now is searching for the quincies fortress."

"Fortress? Wasn't silbern the only one?" Giselle asked

"According to him, no. It seems that a thousand years ago, the first quincies created a fortress to be their base of operations on Yhwach's orders." Aizen explained

"What would Ichigo be looking for that place for?" Yoruichi asked

"To see if he could find any clues as to what really happened before the firstborn was sealed away." Kisuke said in realization

"Is there anything else, Aizen?" Nel asked after they were quiet for a bit

"There is. Be ready to see some more familiar faces." Aizen said vaguely

This confused everyone as to what he was talking about before Ulquiorra finally realized what he meant

"You mean the other arrancars don't you?" Ulquiorra asked

"Not just them but also anyone who has died but not at the hands of a quincy." Aizen pointed out. This was important since the soul of anything killed by a quincy is completely destroyed, contrary to the common belief that it only applied to hollows. "That is all I have found for now. I'll go see if I can help Ichigo find some clues about it. Take note though, that our real enemy is still unclear, if it is the soul king or his firstborn however, what is guaranteed is that the sinners will attack." Aizen warned and left

This left everyone pondering about what to do. They were now starting to question if what they know about the soul king, and by extension, the soul society, was a lie or not

"I'll go inform the others about this." Bambietta said and left, breaking the haunting silence that ensued after Aizen's warning

"Is she acting weird or what?" Giselle asked once Bambietta was out of hearing range

"She's probably annoyed and wondering if Ichigo lied about all this." Candice explained, having read her friend easily

The others left soon after that. Isshin went to inform Ryuken about this personally and had him invite the kids. Yoruichi decided to inform the fullbringers about this while Kisuke went back to building stuff again

**-Mountains in the Soul Society-**

Shuren had just left and ordered the rest of his group to stay behind. Later while they were just resting, Gunjo began to realize something

"Hey, does anyone else feel weird or something?" Gunjo asked

"What do you mean by 'weird'? Taikon wanted clarification

"I'm not exactly sure. It's like something's off with our powers." Gunjo explained

"You're not the only one. I've also been feeling something weird since we arrived." Garogai said

"It's probably the reishi in this place." Szayelaparro said as he approached the three

"What are you talking about?" Taikon asked

"Well, how do I explain this?" Szayelaparro said thoughtfully. "It seems that the reishi outside of hell is different from the ones in that place. It's probably the reason why you feel something odd about your powers."

"If that's the case then why aren't you affected?" Garogai pointed out

"Probably because he hasn't been in hell as long as we have." Gunjo said, surprising everyone as they expected the former espada to be the one to answer

**-Hell-**

The bandaged man was away from the citadel. He was somewhere else beneath the surface, trying to find out the cause of the quake. This place's own bizarre landscape only made said task difficult due to how he had to constantly be careful of his movements as the space outside the citadel were not completely stable, causing the phenomenon of stuff appearing and disappearing to happen. He then suddenly felt one of his subordinates approach

"Lord Kokuto, I bring some news." the guy said

"Murakumo." Kokuto said as he looked at him. "So what is it?"

"Shuren, Gunjo, Garogai and Taikon have all made it to the soul society along with a small army." Murakumo reported

"I see. So Shuren intends to take over the soul society with his own power then?" Kokuto pondered

"It appears so. Shuren has decided to launch the invasion in about forty eight hours." Murakumo said

"That makes sense." Kokuto said before going back to doing what he was doing. "Regardless, freedom is almost at hand." he said before realizing something. "Have any of the arrancars proved their worth?"

"Szayelaparro Granz has my lord. He was the one responsible for bringing Shuren and the others into the soul society." Murakumo said before remembering a tiny piece of detail. "Nnoitra Gilga has also tried to head to the human world, however, he chose to fight Ichigo Kurosaki and lost, badly."

"I see. Well, it doesn't matter, he'll be back in a few days anyway. You may leave now if nothing else." Kokuto said and Murakumo nodded before leaving

* * *

**Note that the names used are purely fictional and are not meant to represent any individual or organization**

**Finished this one. Yeah, I decided to make a background story to Aizen, which was implied before. I probably messed up a bit of the lore but whatever. It is what it is since I never specified that the power responsible for Ichigo having a quincy power manifestation was opposite or not. It was also never mentioned that quincies destroy the souls of non hollows so I just added that in**

**So, did anyone see that coming? I'm sure since I already mentioned before that Aizen was betrayed by the soul society and don't be surprised about the Kasumioji being this different since I already said I would change something up drastically**

**And the title for the previous chapter, Hell Verse Begins. That's about it for me I guess and I was right before. I'm really gonna have to rush the story a bit because for some god damn reason, the college decided to use an online class. Just brilliant. I wanna get this over with before that nonsense starts but I will try my best to make sense of everything**

**Translations**

**German**

**Ursprüngliches Reich - Original Empire**


	51. Chapter 50

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty - The Final War **

Three Days Later

**-World of the Living-**

At long last, Ichigo found a mountain, a specific one where if you're close enough, it feels something is off. He scoured the entire mountain and eventually found a waterfall on one side among its forests. The waterfall was incredibly huge and the water came crashing down at a very high speed, enough for it to block vision of the mountain

When Ichigo found the waterfall, he grew a bit suspicious due to the size. He usually wouldn't feel anything off if it was an ordinary day as a waterfall was always a beautiful sight, but this day was anything but ordinary. Sinners have already begun appearing and if Aizen was right about being able to gaze unto hell through one of the distortions, then it is possible the opposite was also true. And since karakura town and las noches were in complete lockdown thanks to his allies, the only place they would be is the soul society

'That waterfall seems rather odd.'

_"Why do you say so?"_

'Well, it seems rather large and I never even heard of one being in this location.'

**"So? It's not like you go out or anything to hear the rumors if there are stuff like this."**

'You're right, I don't, but Keigo does. Then again, there is no official park or something like that in this place but still. I wonder if anyone has even wandered into this place.'

_"That is a good point, however, you must also realize that traversing into this location is not an easy task, especially for a regular human."_

'Yeah I guess. Besides, I can feel very faint spiritual pressure from within this mountain and it is rather huge. Now I gotta figure out how to get behind the waterfall.'

**"Behind?"**

'Well, it can't be in the sides as it is painfully obvious so that only leaves it behind the waterfall.'

"**That's true. Well, what are you waiting for? You already know what to do."** White sneered at him

'Come on. I don't wanna get wet.' Ichigo whined

_"It is not like you have a choice Ichigo. Or you can just use your shikai and turn your flames into something that can block the water."_

'You're right. Why didn't I think of that.' Ichigo said. "Fade to Black, Zangetsu." he muttered and his blades then released even without him holding it, so they were still on his back and hip when they released. Just like when he released it, he still didn't grab hold of his swords and soon, black flames came out from both swords and engulfed Ichigo and a swirling motion and he walked towards the waterfall. As he wanted, the flames protected him from the water without doing anything to it. It merely caused the water to fly off to different directions. 'That worked.' he said happily and as he dispelled his flames after passing through, he came across a cave. 'Woah, this is huge.' he said in awe as he observed his surroundings

"**Ichigo, look there, directly in front of you."**

Ichigo did as he was told and found a massive door right in front of him along with the quincy pentagram engraved on it. 'This is it then.'

_"Indeed. This is where the original empire was built. It is rather clever for it to be built inside of a mountain to throw of any suspicion."_

'Well, can't argue with that.' Ichigo said and drew both of his blades

"**Are you seriously just gonna force your way in?"**

'Not even close.' Ichigo said and released his flames once more. This time, it just wiggled its way through the gap in the door. On the other side, it was pretty dark. Even through his flames, it was next to impossible to see anything. 'So how did anyone even see anything in a place this dark?'

"**Probably because you're supposed to go inside."**

'What does you mean?'

_"What he means is, inside the fortress, there are lamps that are scattered. In order to light the lamps, you need to feed it spirit energy. However, it must come from a living creature so that means you cannot use your flames."_

'Well, that sucks. I might as well do this the old fashioned way and carry a torch or something.'

_"That might work."_

"**But how are you gonna get the torch inside?"**

This made Ichigo deadpan as he didn't really think it through. 'Whatever. Might as well check for any traps first before opening this thing.' he responded before the flames that were on the other side turned into humanoid shape and began throwing themselves at anything whether it was a wall or the floor

_"I do not think this is going to work Ichigo. It is true that they built traps in the fortress but most likely, it would all be inactive by now after so long. If the traps are still active, then it will not respond to anything that does not possess life."_

'Well, in that case...' Ichigo said before kicking the door open. The doors slamming open caused some noise but it was covered by the waterfall outside since it also caused a bit of a shockwave that made the water go down faster for a few moments. 'Now what? Where am I supposed to feed spirit energy?' he said as one can now see inside the fortress although it doesn't go too far since the light source was the sun outside

_"Look to the right wall. There appears to be an empty lamp shaped object. Perhaps it is that."_

Ichigo looked at where old man Zangetsu pointed and went to the object. He really didn't know if this was it or not but after observing for a while, he saw some sort of tube or pipe that headed towards the ceiling. Since vision was limited, he decided to test it out. After feeding it a bit of his spirit energy, it lit up the entire fortress and saw multiple tunnels heading towards different directions. Now he was annoyed. He realized that this specific mountain was only the entrance part and that this entire mountain range was the fortress of the quincy. 'Just great. This place is huge it's gonna take forever to find anything here. I don't even know if there are traps here or where they are.'

**"As if anything trap the quincies can make would be enough to harm you. You're basically at Yhwach's level so if they were to make a trap, it would also be lethal to Yhwach and I highly doubt he would allow anything like that."**

'I hope you're right.' Ichigo muttered before summoning even more flame creatures and sending them down the tunnels. 'So, what exactly am I supposed to be looking for?'

_"That we are not sure of. This was also another thing that Yhwach wanted to be an absolute secret along with the truth about the royal family. Even Jugram Haschwalth, his second in command, had no idea this existed."_

'Really? What other things does Yhwach does not want found?' Ichigo asked but spoke again before old man Zangetsu can respond. 'On second thought, don't bother. I'll just look for anything significant here.' he took it back and summoned two more creatures and made them invisible. These creatures were meant to stay at the main cave entrance and alert Ichigo to anyone coming in. He really didn't care about the door since he can always slice his way out the ceiling or destroy the doors if he becomes trapped. He then decided to observe this main entrance area. It wasn't a fortress as he first thought. It was more like a castle. There were lots of things that looked like it was made of expensive material. It really was a sight to see, if only it wasn't so dirty that is. 'So how exactly did none of the wildlife manage to wander in here?'

_"There is only one entrance to this place and it was the one you just went through. Since the door was closed, it would be impossible for any animal to wander inside. Those doors were made so that only a spiritual being could budge it."_

**"True. If you're wondering about the plants or trees then it should be perfectly obvious. There is no soil for them to start growing. Even if there are, I doubt there are plants that would grow deeper down aside from its roots. You may think that the ceiling is high but from the surface outside, there is actually a massive gap from the soil all the way towards the ceiling. More than enough space for a tree to extend its roots."**

'That makes sense. What about what you said when they bound this to the enriched spirit zone? How would one even move a place this huge?'

_"That is rather complicated. To put it in the simplest of terms, when the spirit zone moves from one location to another, it does not vanish instantly and appear elsewhere. Instead, a part of it vanishes slowly and reappears at another location at the same time and by the time it completely vanishes, it has already relocated itself. Think of it like passing an object through a portal."_

'Now I'm even more confused. How would the quincies even be capable of managing something like that?'

_"The powers of the first quincies are far greater than the ones who exist now. It is the same with the first captains of the thirteen court guard squads. By comparison, their ability to fight in this world would be equal to a quincy that are alive today if they are in the soul society or hueco mundo. If they enter either of the two spirit worlds, they their powers would only be greater due to the reishi quality. Yhwach himself also aided in making this fortress in order to hasten its construction."_

'That's really hard to believe you know.'

**"Well, get used to it. I wouldn't be surprised if the soul king or his firstborn are capable of much more."**

'Yeah whatever.' Ichigo said before concentrating on his creatures. They still found nothing but random rooms. He didn't want to leave anything unchecked so he had them enter every room and throw things around to see if anything is hidden

Meanwhile, after their little explanation thing, White and Zangetsu decided to have a chat of their own

"**Is it just me or is he becoming more like his old self again?"**

_"It is not just you. I also have noticed that Ichigo is no longer as dark as he is despite taking this seriously. This has probably been the result of him trying to learn to control his negative emotions. However, I have no doubt he would still become ruthless should he go into battle or hollowfies."_

"**At least he's taking this seriously I guess. I'm never gonna understand emotions. To me, they are just things that cloud one's judgment."**

_"That is true, to a certain extent. That is why one must learn to control their emotions as to not recklessly act on it, which is what we have taught Ichigo since learning the truth."_

**"Agreed. There is a reason why the brain is literally at the top of the body."**

_"You must also consider that not everyone is like you, that includes Ichigo. Despite him now acting on what needs to be done instead of what he wants to do, he is still human and even with the way he is now, there will be times when his emotions would cloud his judgment. The only question would be, how much would he let it."_

**"That's a good point. But I have to give Ichigo credit. He actually realizes that his options for allies are now severely limited due to his level of power and he didn't even recklessly neglect it. It seems that he has actually grown."**

_"Indeed, however, to his allies, it would appear that Ichigo is acting reckless and immature."_

"**What makes you say that?"**

_"The concept of stronger together. That is basically what everyone thinks. If one acts decides to act on something without consulting his or her allies, they would think it is arrogance or reckless or even stupidity. The basis for this is by having people with similar goals work together, they will finish the job sooner and much more efficient."_

**"I think that's a bunch of crap. How could anyone neglect that the level of power plays a huge role in what one can and cannot do?"**

_"Because of the soul society and their mindset that they are the strongest of them all. Remember, that Isshin and some of the others were once captains."_

**"Oh yeah that's right. I forgot about that for a second."**

_"At any rate, Ichigo has realized this and that is what matters now. My concern at the moment is what would happen when he confronts his family once this is over."_

**"Probably they would berate him for acting on his own. I'm just about a hundred percent sure they're gonna have an interesting argument after all this."**

_"That is true."_

**"I have to admit though. I am rather surprised. I actually thought Ichigo's new personality was gonna be permanent."**

_"I have to disagree on that. As you know, emotions can affects how a person would act. All that anger he felt was released all at once during his fight with Yhwach. Since it has been quite some time since that battle, it stands to reason that Ichigo is no longer holding all of it in now that he has the freedom to let the world know about him. I guess you could say Ichigo now is a combination of his old personality and his ruthlessness due to how we trained him. I doubt he would completely revert to the way he was before but I do not think it really matters. After all, survival should always be the first priority, especially when you are only among the few who can do anything about it."_

**"That's a good point. I still don't understand emotions and I don't think I ever will."**

_"Emotions are just one of the things that would never be totally understood due to how it can vary from one person to the next. Think of it like instict." Zangetsu said before looking at White with a knowing face. "And no, not the survival instincts. It would be the connection instincts."_

**"I guess I can't argue with that."**

**-Soul Society-**

In the rukongai district, some of the people have been acting weird, almost as if they're trying a bit too hard to be normal. Of course, this went unnoticed by the soul reapers due to being too busy on repairs and their lack of manpower. Shuren had even blended in to the community and no one even suspected a thing. This allowed him to slowly but surely take over the minds of the inhabitants. Three days had already passed, he returned to the distortion in which he first came here. Upon his arrival, he found some faces he did not expect to see

"Utagawa, Mabashi and Sawatari. I didn't think the bounts would take part of the invasion." Shuren commented

"We did not have anything else to do back in hell so might as well join in for the fun." Mabashi responded

"It is also under master Kariya's wishes to have a place for the bounts and our allies and as such, this course of action would also serve us as well." Utagawa pointed out

"Well, that's true. Now that we're all in agreement, let's get this show on the road." Taikon said excitedly

"Wait, hold on." Mabashi said before summoning multiple of his dolls. "I will take control of the residents to make the entry easier for us all."

"No need for that." Shuren said and got curious looks from the bounts. "I have already done so. Most of the residents in the rukongai are already under my control."

"What? How did you do that?" Sawatari asked

"My power is to create objects using flames. Unlike other people of similar power, I can inject my flames directly into an individual who's level of power is much less than my own and I can take control of their minds. I guess you could say it is the polar opposite of what Ichigo Kurosaki can do which is to raise the dead with his flames." Shuren responded simply before looking ahead. "Let's go. The soul reapers still don't suspect a thing and let's keep it that way. Ever since we have arrived, I slowly took control of one of the districts and in secret, had them build something made out of wood that would lift the gates open."

"That was great thinking Shuren. Let's go already. I wanna kill the soul reapers." Gunjo said and they all left. One of them was even looking forward to meeting that specific soul reaper

Meanwhile, the soul reapers have all been busy with the repairs. They weren't really given that much free time and it couldn't be helped. This was the first time in the history of the soul society where the soul reapers were nearly wiped out. A price that many paid through no fault of their own, but through the fault of their late head captain. In one of the areas being slowly rebuilt, some of the lieutenants gathered to take a short break

"Talk about back breaking work." Rangiku grumbled as she greedily took a large amount of food

"You say that nearly every single day." Nanao said in an annoyed tone

"Well it's true. Every single day I nearly break my back. I wonder how it's still not broken." Rangiku continued to whine

"You've got Ichigo to blame for that. He literally destroyed the seireitei. He never even bothered to try to find a way to reverse what the wandenreich did. That bastard who killed captain Komamura is even affiliated with him now." Tetsuzaemon seethed in anger

"Come now Tetsuzaemon. Let's just enjoy our lunch." Momo said timidly, not wanting to ruin the mood

"She's right." Shuhei said before taking a sip of his drink. "You know, I can't really blame Ichigo for what he did." he said honestly

"Why is that?" Nanao asked curiously

"I mean, when you think about it, what would you have done if the ones who you thought to be your ally were planning to kill you?" Shuhei pointed out. "I think we brought this on ourselves."

"I have to agree with you. Ichigo wouldn't have done these things if we had just been honest." Izuru said

"That's true but does that really justify killing most of our remaining troops?" Nanao asked

"There never is a justification for war. Once you become enemies, it's really a matter of who makes the first move." Rangiku said thoughtfully, surprising everyone as she usually wouldn't bother with stuff like this due to how lazy she is

"It would still have been better if Ichigo tried to work things out though." Yumichika said

"I think it was the right call not to." Ikkaku argued, much to everyone's surprise. "I mean, would you be willing to be allies with those who are planning to kill you? I know I won't."

"Well, that's true. I still wonder why the captains would even try such a thing. Ichigo could have ended this war before it started." Isane muttered sadly

"Who cares about that? He killed a third seat, a lieutenant and destroyed the seireitei. He's our enemy!" Tetsuzaemon said adamantly. "He also nearly killed captain Soi Fon and captain Kuchiki."

"Tetsuzaemon..." Momo tried to calm him but was unsuccessful

"Don't bother Momo. As long as he has that bastard that killed captain Komamura, he is my enemy." Tetsuzaemon cut her off angrily

"Yeah well, good luck even putting a scratch on him." Ikkaku said nonchalantly

"What did you say Ikkaku?!" Tetsuzaemon retorted

"Alright enough. This is supposed to be a lunch not a discussion. Eat first, discuss later." Rangiku said angrily, causing all of them to shut up

Before anyone could respond to that, one of the gates towards the seireitei was suddenly opened which surprised them as everyone should be having a break now

"What? Why is the gate opening?" Izuru wondered

"That's strange." Momo said as she eyed the gate

"What is it Momo?" Shuhei asked as he put down his food

"The gate seems to be opened from the other side." Momo said which put them on alert

"What?! Let's go check it out." Nanao said but before they could, they suddenly saw residents from the rukongai walking towards them, slowly

"What's going on? They look to be in some kind of trance." Yumichika noted

"No use standing here. Let's go see for ourselves. Nanao, can you inform captain Kyoraku on what's going on?" Shuhei said

"Of course. I'll be back as soon as I can." Nanao quickly replied

"I'll inform captain Hirako as well since he should be with the other visored. Someone needs to go inform the other captains." Momo said

"I'll do it. We're not that far from captain Kyoraku so I should be finished with it quickly." Nanao replied

"Alright if that's settled let's go." Ikkaku said and led the way with the others moving out as well

"Come on I'm still not finished." Rangiku whined before greedily devouring her remaining food and catching up with the rest

All of them soon arrived at where the residents were walking like zombies

"What's wrong?" Shuhei was the first to ask but got no response

"You're right Yumichika. They do appear to be mind controlled or something." Ikkaku said

"You really think those shows from the world of the living was true?" Yumichika asked

"Not sure but it's the only thing I can think of." Ikkaku answered

"I'm not so sure about that. I feel some very, very faint spiritual pressure from them. Something's not right." Izuru noted

"You're right about that." a voice from nowhere said. All the lieutenant turned around and saw a purple haired man with broken chains on him standing behind them

"Who are y-?" Tetsuzaemon demanded to know but was cut off when he was suddenly pierced through by multiple tentacles

The lieutenants looked on in shock but they couldn't do anything as the residents suddenly summoned a flaming sword and cut them all down, although they were not dead yet

"Come now Shuren. Do you really have to ruin the fun?" Taikon whined as he wanted to kill them himself

"It does not matter. We have entry now. So what do we do?" Utagawa asked

They then observed their army marching in through the gate. It was composed of headless horsemen in a limited number and some weird undead looking creatures in large numbers

"Take the dullahans and ghouls and take control of different areas. We need a base of operations inside the seireitei as to ward off any soul reapers. We don't have much time." Shuren said before looking at Szayelaparro. "Szayelaparro, I want you to be in charge of making this base. Taikon, Gunjo, Mabashi help him with whatever he needs and take most of the ghouls with you. I want the base finished by the end of the day. The rest of us split up and engage the soul reapers."

"What about the soul reapers here?" Gunjo asked

"Take them as prisoners. Let's move." Shuren ordered and everyone moved out. Even the rukongai residents ran of in different directions, trying to catch up with the others

On another side of the seireitei, all of the visored were eating as well

"So, why are we even helping these soul reapers again?" Hiyori grumbled despite four of her companions being part of the court guard squads again

"You mean to say you would abandon us?" Shinji pointed out with a blank expression which merely resulted in Hiyori kicking him in the face

"Don't be a smartass baldy. You know exactly what I mean." Hiyori yelled out

"Calm down Hiyori." Hachi said which worked, to a certain extent but got him a glare of death from Hiyori

"It is our only option. Ichigo also thinks we would be his enemies due to Shinji and the others being part of the thirteen court guard squads again." Lisa pointed out

"But we didn't do anything to Ichigo." Mashiro argued in a whiny voice

"That may be true but we are still affiliated with them. If the others won't make things right with Ichigo, I'm gonna quit being a captain." Kensei said thoughtfully

"I was also thinking about that myself. Still, I am concerned about something." Rose said, which grabbed everyone's attention

"What are you so concerned about? That there is no music here in the soul society?" Love asked sarcastically

"No, not that. I just find it really weird for Ichigo to just leave us all alive. When you consider how angry he was the last time he was here, I thought he would have killed us all as well." Rose pointed out

"That's true. Now that you mention it, maybe something's going on over there in the world of the living." Shinji said

"What do you mean by that baldy?" Hiyori asked angrily

"I dunno. It's just that it has been so quiet since then and considering Ichigo's personality, it would be extremely unlikely that he would just let this go just like that." Shinji answered, which surprisingly calmed down Hiyori

"I think you're right. I mean, Ichigo was just a naive kid when we met him and then suddenly became powerful enough to engage the one who killed Yamamoto in a fair fight and actually defeat him. Considering the mindset of some of the captains, I think it was a reasonable conclusion that they would hold Ichigo's family and friends as leverage. But I agree with Shinji. Something is definitely off about all this. It's almost like something is coming and Ichigo does not want us to know about it." Lisa said with a serious expression but got some odd looks from her fellows. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just surprising that you would be this thoughtful." Shinij pointed out which got him an annoyed glare

"I agree with Lisa. Ichigo definitely knows something on why it's so quiet." Hachi said

Their discussion was interrupted when Momo suddenly flashed to them

"Momo? What are you doing here? I thought you'd be with the others." Shinji asked when he saw that she appeared to be worried

"It's the residents of the rukongai district. They suddenly opened the door and came inside. They also appeared to be in some kind of trance. Rangiku and the others went to investigate." Momo answered in a panicked voice

"What? Why would they do that?" Hiyori asked

"That's because they're no longer the citizens you know." a voice called out and soon, some of their surroundings suddenly turned into snakes and bound them all with some of them biting Momo and quickly knocked her unconscious

"Who the hell are you?!" Hiyori demanded to know

"Ryo Utagawa." he said simply

"What are you anyway?" Shinji asked curiously. None of them particularly cared about being bound by snakes as they knew they could escape easily so might as well extract some information

"We're sinners, from hell." Garogai answered

This widened the eyes of the visored. They all thought that sinners would be trapped in hell forever but here they are

"If you're who you say you are then how come you're out here?" Lisa asked in a calm tone, which surprised those from hell

"Long story short, it was all thanks to Ichigo. Well, it was because of his doing but the sole blame cannot be placed on him. After all, it was either Yhwach destroys everything and we remain trapped or Yhwach dies and we get out although I have my doubts he is aware of the consequences of Yhwach's death but like I said, don't blame him." Utagawa said honestly

"Why would that dumbass even release you clowns?" Hiyori yelled

"As I said just now, don't blame him. All actions have consequences even if such is the end of a madman." Utagawa said

"Well, in that case, thank you for the information." Shinji said calmly

This confused the sinners for a bit but before they could ask, the visored broke free from their binds and immediately attacked. Utagawa was caught of guard by this and as a result was slashed multiple times by both Lisa and Hiyori

"You got reckless Utagawa." Sawatari, who had been silent during this whole ordeal, said scoldingly

"My bad." Utagawa said as he was getting up

"You should worry about yourself old man." Love said, catching the two bounts by surprise as he inflicted a wound on Sawatari. Before the old bount could even react or summon his doll, he was bound by a lasso and thrown around, courtesy of Rose

"Come now Love, it is very rude to just attack an old man like that." Rose reprimanded

"I don't care." Love quickly retorted

"Are you just gonna stand there?" Shinji asked, looking at Garogai, who was just silently observing the battle. "Not much of a talker huh?" he said before trying to attack him

Garogai instead just blocked it with his bare hand. He then released a green pulse of energy that knocked all of the visored back

"Damn. Seems like these guys aren't pushovers." Kensei said and released his shikai. Before he could attack, someone suddenly flashed and blocked his strike. The one who blocked it didn't have a particularly impressive speed but it did catch Kensei off guard. When he got a look at who the newcomer was, Kensei was shocked. It didn't have a head at all. Whoever or whatever this thing that engaged him was a creature that had no head, was wearing some sort of suit that looks like an armor but it didn't look particularly tough. "What's this thing?" Kensei asked in shock

"I think it's one of those dullahans from some of the human legends." Mashiro answered thoughtfully as she saw a horse nearby

"Look out Mashiro!" Hiyori yelled when she noticed three more dullahans arrived

Mashiro quickly jumped up to avoid any attack before engaging the dullahans. Despite being outnumbered, she held her own, with a bit of help from Hachi, who trapped the one closesst to her in a barrier

"You should worry about yourself." Utagawa said as he had multiple snakes bind her down once more

"Hiyori!" Lisa yelled and tried to cut down Utagawa, who merely used his doll, that now looked like a very long snake, to block her attacks. She was then forced on the defensive as not only does she have to try and attack this so called sinner, she also had to be careful of her surroundings turning into snakes. After a while of fighting, she managed to get a glance at Hiyori that basically said 'keep him busy for a bit'. Lisa did just that and dodged the attacks while cutting any snakes that got close

"What's wrong, my dear? Why are you running away?" Utagawa taunted

"Well, because you seem to be perverted since you're using snakes to attack a girl." Lisa said with a dead serious tone

This reponse caught Utagawa off guard as he did not expect that at all. "What? I'm not a pervert at all!" he yelled in embarassment

"Yeah right. This is just like one of those stories where a girl gets raped by multiple tentacles. Well, these things are snakes but that's close enough." Lisa said with one of her hands on her chin

Utagawa was so embarassed at this that he failed to notice that Lisa was wide open and that Hiyori just broke free from her bindings

"What are you doing? Kill her!" his doll, Fried, yelled at him

"What?" Utagawa asked in surprise and looked at Lisa, who then pointed behind him. He then turned to look around

"Butcher them, Kubiki Orochi!" Hiyori yelled with her mask now on and managed to inflict a fatal wound on Utagawa, who was caught of guard thanks to Lisa

When Utagawa was hit, Lisa took this chance to finish him off. "Smash, Haguro Tonbo." she said and her sword turned into a giant spear. She then flashed above Utagawa and dropped down blade first which resulted in Utagawa being cut in half, killing him

Meanwhile, Sawatari took quite a bit of time to get up, being the old man he is. He got up as soon as Utagawa resumed his fight

"So, you finally got up?" Love asked mockingly

"Don't pressure him too much. He is old after all." Rose said reprimandingly

"Like that really matters one way or the other." Love argued back

"It seems you two don't respect your elders. That should be corrected. Baura." Sawatari said as he slowly got up while slamming his cane on the ground. This confused the visored as to what was happening but they immediately moved from where they were standing as a massive shadow suddenly appeared

When they got away, a large brown, whale like creature suddenly appeared and tried to devour them again after jumping into the air. The two dodged this again before the creature went to its master

"Baura. Let's kill these soul reapers." Sawatari said and got up on the whale

"Yes, boss." Baura said before trying to devour them again

The visored were now on the defensive as this whale would just go into the ground and phase away before reappearing somewhere else and trying the same trick

"What do you think it's power is?" Rose asked as he was observing the ground for any giant shadow

"I'm not sure. He seems to be able to enter a space only his whale can access. Whatever the case, just don't let it devour you." Love answered while mimicking his comrade's actions

"I'm aware. This ability is also limited as it seems he cannot surface without revealing his intent." Rose noted

"You're right. So, what should we do? This is gonna drag on forever and if we let our guard down, he'll come for us." Love asked

"I think we should attack from different directions. From what we've seen, the whale seems to be of different colors. On top, it has a rough darker shade of brown while its underside is light brown and smoother. Maybe that's a weak spot so let's attack both sides at once." Rose said

"Alright. I'll take the underside and you go after him directly while he rides that fish." Love said while still looking at the ground. The two of them managed to take this fight away from the areas where there were slight reconstructions as damage was already an issue

"Speak of the devil." Rose said as a shadow appeared on the ground once more. The two of them dodged in different directions, causing the whale to miss its target. Using this opportunity, Rose flashed around before trying to run the old man through. His suspicions were correct. The darker area of the whale was tough and it even changed its shape to protect the sinner

"Got you." Love said and released his shikai before slamming the whale in its underside, sending it flying. "How about that? You actually guessed right."

Before they could celebrate, more strange creatures suddenly arrived and run right past the downed bount. They were creatures that walked on four legs and used their forelegs to try and attack. They also came in large numbers and immediately engaged the two visored. These were the ghouls. At first, the ghouls seemed to lose against the two visored but eventually, the numbers got the best of them and were forced to retreat. Sadly for them, two dullahans were waiting in the area and ambushed them, inflicting some wounds and slowing them down. The two visored managed to get rid of the dullahans but they were slowed down. The ghouls have caught up with them and immediately tried to hack and slash. Caught off guard thanks to the dullahan, they were next to helpless as they were slashed ruthlessly. Soon, they lay there, barely alive, in a pool of their own blood. Three more dullahans arrived soon after and picked up their bodies

"Take them to Szayelaparro." Sawatari said as he approached the downed visored on his whale

The dullahans did as ordered despite their lack of head and went towards where Szayelapparo's spiritual pressure was

Kensei, Hachi and Mashiro weren't doing much better than Rose and Love. Just like the two, they were initially winning against their opponents however, the residents of the rukongai district suddenly arrived. Despite them being much weaker than the dullahans, their sheer numbers eventually put them on the defensie although with Hachi's help, it was a bit more manageable. That was until the ghoul army arrived and caught them off guard. They ghouls destroyed some of the surroundings and threw the rubble at them while some went on a circle formation as to prevent any cheeky flash steps and it worked. The ones throwing rubbles got their attention as they had to block it. Kensei even released a strong blast of wind and knocked most of them away, giving them some breathing room, that was until a hand suddenly came flying towards them and slamming Kensei into the ground, hard

"Kensei!" Mashiro yelled and left herself open, which the ghouls were quick to take advantage of and slashed her with their claws

"Mashiro!" Hachi yelled before he managed ot kill some of the ghouls but ultimately, met the same fate

Shinji on the other hand, was busy trying to cut Garogai. He went easy on him in order to reveal any powers his opponent might have, other than the weird energy pulse. Any attacks Shinji throws would just get blocked and forced back by the energy pulse. Shinji was no slouch when dodging either as he was successfully able to dodge all of Garogai's attacks. Garogai noticed that he won't be able to do much against Shinji so he decided on a new tactic, sending his arm flying towards the other visored, knocking Kensei out, allowing the rest of the army to knock out the other two. This did leave him wide open which Shinji quickly took advantage of and slashed him across his body. What he didn't know is that this is what Garogai was aiming for, to work Shinji up by targetting his fellows. It worked to a certain extent as when Shinji was about to kill him, he got distracted and didn't notice Garogai's arm coming right back. This allowed the sinner to slam Shinji into the ground. Before he could get up, Garogai grabbed him by the legs and thrashed him like a ragdoll, knocking him unconscious before throwing him towards Lisa and Hiyori, who had just gotten rid of Utagawa

"Shinji!" Lisa yelled as Shinji was thrown right in front of them

"Why you!" Hiyori yelled and charged at Garogai. What she failed to notice is that some ghouls have snuck up on her, taking complete advantage of her temper and cut her down

"Hiyori!" Lisa became distracted and she too met the same fate and was unconscious

"Take them as prisoners." Garogai ordered to the ghouls, who quickly obeyed

While the battles just begun to rage, Nanao had just arrived at Kyoraku's office

"Nanao, what's going on?" Kyoraku asked his lieutenant who just came in as he suddenly felt a spike in spiritual pressure

"I don't know captain. The residents of the rukongai district suddenly opened one of the gates and came in. Rangiku and the other lieutenants have already went to check it out." Nanao quickly answered

Before Kyoraku or Jushiro could respond to it, someone interrupted them

"Don't worry about that. The seireitei is now ours." the voice said

"And who might you be?" Jushiro asked as the three eyed the newcomer

"My name is Shuren. We are sinners, from hell." he introduced himself, which shocked them all

* * *

**Here is the next one. I know you're probably disappointed at how the visored were beat easily but they were not fighting at full strength. If they had, they would have defeated them. I guess you could say they still haven't learned their lesson from the quincy war. I also missed a few characters on what happened when the sinners arrived but that was intentional. I haven't decided yet if they would be prisoners or killed or something. Also, that part about Shuren comparing his powers to Ichigo's, that was false. I already explained that a part of Ichigo's powers basically works like clay. What Shuren said was only his assumption and not the real thing. Speaking of Shuren, I decided to change his abilities a bit. He had the power to create clones of himself, according to the wiki anyway, so I changed that to mind controlling lesser beings and having them use his flame swords. The others still have their original powers. Speaking of others, yeah I decided to turn bounts into sinners. Don't be surprised as I already warned a few times already that there was gonna be drastic changes. Depending on which part of this arc I am on and on which day, I may or may not explain how the bounts came to be so I apologize in advance if I don't. ****About the dullahans, I just added them in along with the ghouls since I already mentioned it would take inspiration from Warcraft. So those guys would basically be the hell equivalent of the random soul reapers and soldats. Like with the bounts, their explanation of how they came to be would depend on the part and day**


	52. Chapter 51

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty One - Sins of the Past**

**-Soul Society-**

"We're sinners, from hell." Shuren said, shocking Jushiro, Kyoraku and Nanao

"What did you say?" Nanao asked in complete shock

"You heard me little girl. I said we're sinners." Shuren answered

"You mean the ones residing in hell?" Nanao asked once more

"I believe that is what I said." Shuren responded

"How? You're supposed to be imprisoned and condemned for all eternity." Nanao pointed out, still in shock at what the sinner said

Shuren just glared at them coldly upon hearing that. He really didn't like that place. No one does. "We were. However, two people are ultimately responsible for our escape."

"Who might those two be?" Kyoraku asked

"Genryusai Yamamoto and Ichigo Kurosaki." Shuren said, shocking them even further

"What do you mean by that?" Jushiro asked with a curious expression

Instead of given his answer directly, Shuren looked at the sky and went silent for a bit. The soul reapers prepared for anything however, it did not come. "Hell is not a very friendly place." he said before looking right at the three. "Every single day, us sinners get hunted down by the guards of hell, the kushanadas. We were killed, devoured and reminded that in hell, we were nobodies. Most have already lost hope that they would escape and eventually, just gave in to the kushanadas but the guards still showed no mercy. Some of us however, have decided to work together and using our powers, we were able to create a place that was hidden from the kushanadas. Since then, we have grown in strength, plotting our escape and revenge on the outside world. The world that forced us to do what we did."

"Where does the head captain and Ichigo Kurosaki fit into all this?" Nanao asked again

"Because of Yamamoto's arrogance." Shuren answered and made the three grow curious as to what he was referring. "You so called head captain, merely considered Yhwach as a madman, and a nobody. Just someone he could step on should he ever return. Had your so called head captain considered Yhwach as a legitimate threat, he would have had the thirteen court guard squads prepare for him. More importantly, he would never have recklessly turned in Ichigo Kurosaki like that. What he did not know is that the barriers that separates hell from the other worlds and kept us imprisoned, was bound to Yhwach's own life. When Yhwach was killed, the barriers weakened to the point where we could travel freely. In the end, Yamamoto's actions have put Ichigo in a position in which he would have to choose. Yhwach destroys everything and lives, or we get out and Yhwach dies." he explained. This widened the eyes of the three soul reapers for obvious reasons. "Ichigo Kurosaki is truly an interesting one. Somehow, he was aware on what would happen upon Yhwach's death and on his warning, his allies have put the enriched spirit zone, which is the only place we could enter in the human world, and hueco mundo under complete lockdown."

"Are you saying that you have only come to the soul society?" Jushiro asked in surprise

"Indeed. Entering those two locations would be complete suicide as Ichigo's allies have all extensively trained to prepare for us. Your actions have resulted in Ichigo Kurosaki deserting you all. If you had just considered him as an ally and not a tool, he would have been more than willing to help you. However, you did not and now, all your sins are coming to haunt you." Shuren said with a smirk

Kyoraku, despite the reality of what Shuren said, drew his swords, indicating that he's had enough. "I see. I admit we have made a mistake and we will make things right with him. However, it seems we have something else to do before that."

"I would advice against fighting me." Shuren calmly said

"And why would that be?" Jushiro said as he mimicked his friend's actions

The answer made it clear when a large number of rukongai citizens suddenly arrived. Since Shuren has kept them occupied while the other sinners engaged the soul reapers, he had all of them rendezvous to his location the moment they incapacitated the soul reapers. "Because if you do, I will kill all of these people. Not only that, a battle against me will not be easy. True, you may be able to defeat me if both of you go bankai however, I have ordered my cohorts that should I engage you, they will massacre everyone in the rukongai district and completely destroy the balance of souls." Shuren answered, widening their eyes as the sinners came prepared. What they did not know is that was actually a lie. That was just something Shuren came up with at the moment to make things easier

"This is bad. Captain Zaraki and the others still haven't returned." Nanao said in realization

When Shuren heard that, he finally got an answer to something that has been bugging him and that was how easily they dealt with the soul reapers. Part of it could be atrributed to the fact that none of them fought the sinners at full strength but he knew there was something else. This finally seemed to be the answer. Kenpachi Zaraki was not in the seireitei. 'I guess we're lucky that he's not here.' he thought to himself as he knew if Zaraki was here, his raw strength alone would make it very difficult to take over

"What should we do Jushiro?" Kyoraku asked his friend

"I'm not sure. We risk both worlds if we recklessly attack him." Jushiro answered honestly, knowing all their options were severely limited

"So, what is your choice, captain?" Shuren asked as the three soul reapers were silently pondering their options. "Don't worry. I won't kill you, yet. You may still be of use to us. The same goes for the others. You will only be imprisoned."

This relieved the three a bit but knew this wasn't over. Both captains then dropped their swords to the ground

At the squad twelve barracks while the battles raged, Mayuri was just peacefully trying to rebuild their systems. Part of it was already rebuilt but nowhere near the ones they had before Ichigo destroyed everything. He was so occupied with his work that he never even noticed the spike in spiritual pressure. Suddenly, the walls to the room were blown open, finally getting his attention, although annoying him greatly

"What is wrong with you?! None of this is even completely fixed! Why are you destroying things?!" Mayuri yelled and looked at the destroyed wall. He saw someone he was one hundred percent sure he killed. "You! Szayelaparro Granz!" he seethed in anger

"Hello, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. It has been a while hasn't it?" Szayelapparo greeted with a grin

Mayuri immediately tried to flash and cut down Szayelaparro in blind rage. This left him wide open to attack as Szayelaparro did not come alone. As he was flashing towards the arrancar, he was suddenly pierced by five tentacles from behind

"You shouldn't leave yourself open like that." a voice from behind called out

Mayuri turned around to get a look at his attacker. When he saw him, he had absolutely no clue who he was, which irritated him even more. "Who in the hell are you?!" he demanded to know despite being pierced through

"I am Gunjo. A sinner from hell." he introduced himself, widening the eyes of the captain, who then looked to the arrancar and only now noticed that he had chains on him, confirming the claim

"How?!" Mayuri demanded to know while motioned to stab himself so he'll turn into liquid and get awa

Szayelaparro noticed this and while he didn't know what the captain was planning, he knew he had a lot of weird tricks on him and his body. "Don't let him stab himself!" he yelled

Gunjo immediately complied with the request and wrapped another tentacle, this time on Mayuri's sword arm, preventing him from doing anything and could only struggle to break free. Not wanting to take a chance, Szayelaparro motioned for Gunjo to knock him out, which he complied once more as he knew that the arrancar was aware of who this particular captain was. It was also at this moment that a ghoul came in and brought in an injured Nemu

"Let's kill him, along with his lieutenant." Szayelaparro said and moved to kill the unconscious Mayuri but was stopped by Gunjo

"Not yet. We wait until we absolutely need them killed. Shuren doesn't want any significant soul reaper killed unless necessary." Gunjo said before taking away Mayuri's sword. "We will take him prisoners. If you make your case to Shuren that this one needs to die quickly then maybe he'll listen."

"Very well but just know that this captain is extremely tricky." Szayelaparro warned

"You know this guy then, Szayelaparro?" Mabashi asked

"I do. He's the one that defeated me with his cheap tricks." Szayelaparro said in anger, which surprised the others

"At any rate, you should start building the base now." Taikon calmly said, which surprised them a bit due to his calmness. "If any soul reaper comes here I'll kill them." he said

Szayelaparro nodded at this before moving back to the entrance they made and gave instructions to the ghouls. At that same time, a random resident went to Gunjo and appeared to give him a message

"Szayelaparro." Gunjo called out

"Yes, what is it?" Szayelapparo asked as he looked at the sinner

"Give me some of the spiritual pressure suppressing device you have. Shuren has managed to convince the leaders of the soul society to stand down." Gunjo answered

"I see. He is one clever guy, to be able to manipulate the soul reapers like this." Szayelaparro commented as he walked to Gunjo before handing him a few devices, who then promptly left

Soi Fon felt a battle rage somewhere in the seireitei and moved to assist. When she saw it was Shinji, she was rather reluctant as she was never a fan of the guy. So instead, she decided to move towards Kyoraku as to get information on what was happening, all the while hiding her spiritual pressure. Since Nanao got caught up with Kyoraku, Soi Fon remained uninformed of what was going on. When she got close to Kyoraku's office, she noticed that they were surrendering or something along that line as they dropped their swords. At this point, the enemy seems to have not noticed her yet and took advantage of it. She silently released her shikai and flashed behind Shuren. When she was about to stab him right in the back of the neck, a tentacle came from behind her and pierced her through, causing her to drop to the ground

Shuren was shocked at this and knew that he let his guard down. He turned around and saw Gunjo coming towards him while Soi Fon was injured from the attack

"Soi Fon, stop!" Jushiro yelled out

"Why you?! You think you can just come here and..." Soi Fon said to the sinners but was cut off when Shuren stabbed her, finally causing her to lose consciousness but not dead yet

"You let your guard down Shuren." Gunjo said scoldingly

"I know. My bad." Shuren said nonchalantly before looking at Kyoraku and the others, who for whatever reason, chose not to take advantage of the opportunity. He figured that they actually took his word for it. Who could blame them since he did say it like it was a legit scenario and it's not like they would be able to kill him in one shot plus Gunjo was there to back him up. "Take them prisoners." he ordered before looking at Gunjo again. "Status report."

"I do not know about the others but we have taken control of the research and development department under Szayelaparro's instructions. The captain there has been taken prisoner." Gunjo answered, which surprised Kyoraku and the others before they were knocked unconscious via a powerful slap right to their heads with Gunjo's tentacles

"Very well. Handcuff them and let's finish what we're building. We need to finish it fast and summon reinforcements before Kenpachi Zaraki returns." Shuren ordered with a dead serious expression

"I understand." Gunjo said simply before putting the devices on the four soul reapers in the area, completely suppressing their powers

"One more thing." Shuren said as Gunjo was about to walk away. "Make haste and summon reinforcements immediately. Kenpachi Zaraki is not here yet."

Gunjo merely nodded at this and took away the unconscious soul reapers. Shuren then had the residents return to the gate and destroy what they made to lift it open

While the spiritual pressure spiked due to the sinners' assault, Renji and Rukia were in the Kuchiki mansion, at least on the parts that were rebuilt. They went to check what was happening, all the while hiding their spiritual pressure, and came across the visored fighting some weird creatures. Creatures they have never seen before. They were shocked at how quickly they took down the visored but then again, they were caught off guard and weren't fighting at full strength. Renji immediately tried to help them but Rukia stopped him

"What Rukia? We're not just gonna let them get away with this are we?" Renji asked in an irritated tone but made sure not to raise his voice as to not let anyone know they were there

"We're not, but look over there." Rukia said, pointing at the gates and Renji widened his eyes. They saw a large army of four legged creatures along with headless horsemen, some of which even begun to dismount from their horses. "We can't take them on now."

"So what do we do then?" Renji asked, still whispering

Rukia then sent out a hell butterfly and released it towards Kyoraku's office. "We need to find my brother and the others first and inform them of the situation. Right now, we can't do anything but with them, maybe we can mount a counter attack." she answered

"Alright I guess we have no choice." Renji gave in, noticing their options. The duo then silently made their way behind the army while they were heading off to different directions. They saw that some of the rukongai residents were heading their way and they quickly made haste to leave before they were spotted. Luckily for them, the army was already engaging their comrades by the team they exited the gate. They then quickly flashed away to try and find Byakuya

**-Hell-**

At where the seal was, the five who came from the seal observed the battles in the soul society through a distortion that was near where they are

"They have begun their invasion." a green haired female member of the four horsemen said while looking at Zhakuro. "Do we stop them?"

Zhakuro was just silent at this as he continued to observe the battles. Almost as if he is trying to find out something specific about it

"Zhakuro?" the green haired female asked once more

This time, Zhakuro stopped his observations and looked at the female. "I'm sorry. No, we do not involve ourselves in the sinners' war."

"Why might that be?" another green haired member asked, this member however, was a middle aged male

"This is not our war to fight." another horsemen said, this one was female but unlike the first, she had brown hair

"I do not believe that is the reason." the last horseman said. This one was a male with a dark blue hair. His statement drew the attention of the others. "I believe that true reason is so that Ichigo Kurosaki would travel here himself."

The others horsemen were silent at this as they were confused by what he meant

"He is right." Zhakuro said, diverting the attention to him. "As of this moment, Ichigo Kurosaki is trying to find clues about the truth about why my brother did what he did."

"I see. So you want him to come here so we can explain the truth of what happened centuries ago." the green haired female horseman said in realization

"Indeed. My brother did not make any records and Ichigo Kurosaki has suspicions that something is not right about all this." Zhakuro said, confirming the suspicions. "He is no longer the same as he once was. Instead of recklessly acting on something, he would instead try to find out the truth behind something."

"How would that even work? Why would Ichigo Kurosaki even come here in the first place?" the blue haired horseman asked

"Because he will soon realize that none of the sinners can die outside of hell. If he truly wants to end their invasion, he will have to take them out here at their main base of operations, the Deathrise Citadel." the brown haired horseman said

"I understand. But I will have to give them credit. They have actually managed to hide themselves from the kushanadas for a very long time." the green haired male said before looking at Zhakuro. "But there is more to this, isn't it?"

"There always is. Centuries ago, we failed. This time, we won't and also, we on't be alone." Zhakuro said sternly and they all resumed their observations

At the same time in the citadel, some were in one of the distortions. This specific distortion would lead to hueco mundo. The ones who would lead this invasion was none other than Aizen's former subordinates, Yammy Llargo, Barragan Louisenbairn, Zommari Rureaux, Aaroniero Arruruerie along with the privaron espada Dordoni Socaccio, Cirucci Sanderwicci and Gantenbainne Mosqueda

"Now, let's retake my castle." Barragan declared as the former members of Aizen's army, along with more dullahans and ghouls. This time however, they were accompanied by large flying creatures. Their shape were almost like a gargoyle but these creatures have more than one head. A maximum of three per gargoyle

"Do not get arrogant Barragan. Your job is nothing more than to secure hueco mundo as an extension of our territory." Murakumo coldly reminded the arrogant espada, causing him to glare at him. "Do not give me that look Barragan, unless you want me to throw you into the kushanadas." he said scoldingly, not at all appreciating the former espada's attitude

Barragan merely snorted at this in annoyance. He wanted to kill the sinner before him but knew he couldn't. The power difference between him and any member of the twelve apostles of darkness was so great that they can suppress his aging powers with their spiritual pressure alone

"Dordoni, Cirucci, Gantenbainne, I take it you three know what to do?" Murakumo asked

"We do. As per your instructions, we learned how to manipulate the distortions however, I believe we will not be able to manipulate it as quick way as Szayelaparro." Gantenbainne answered

"As long as you know what you're doing it's fine." Murakumo asked before moving towards the distortion. "Make sure that you enter as far away from las noches. You are no match for the four espadas holding las noches now. If you suspect you're noticed, retreat. However, you will have to search for another distortion in hueco mundo on your own."

The three privaron espada nodded at this as they knew the risk of this task

"Alright. Finish the final preparations." Murakumo said and left them, all the while Barragan glared at him

**-World of the Living-**

A few hours later, Ichigo was still in the original empire of the quincies. The castle was really huge and despite going through a respectable amount of area, he still found nothing. The castle was mostly deserted which wasn't surprising considering it has been a thousand years is since it was last used. According to what his inner spirits told him, the quincies attacked the soul society during the war and lost. Instead of retreating, they instead just hid in another area of the soul society and began building their hidden empire, the wandenreich, in the place that would be known in the future as the seireitei before completely hiding it in the shadows. When a small part of it was done, the quincies that remained in the original empire then used the passageway built in silbern to travel to their new base of operations

For most of his search, Ichigo mostly just remained in one room while having his creatures scour the entire castle. When it has been a few hours and still no results, Ichigo decided to join in himself. At this moment, he came across another door. This one was bigger than the ones leading to the other areas so he bust it open and came across a meeting room with a throne on the far end. Ichigo deduced that this is where Yhwach would conduct his meetings a thousand years ago. A good distance behind the throne itself was a wall, naturally. However, since this place was deserted, it became obvious that it wasn't an ordinary wall as a shape of a doorway became visible on it. It was directly behind the throne so it wasn't visible unless one went closer

'Odd. Why would anyone build a hidden doorway just for it to be visible?' Ichigo asked in confusion

"**Probably because it's been abandoned."**

'Yeah but don't hidden doors stay hidden?'

"**In movies yes, but since this ain't a movie, it requires some maintenance. If you don't, it rots just like everything else."**

'That's a good point. I'll check it out.' Ichigo said and went to the wall. He made sure to check if there were any traps. After checking the area for nearly ten minutes, he found nothing. He figured that only Yhwach would be allowed in this room unless a meeting was being held. He tried to push the door on the wall and it moved inside. Ichigo became concerned when it didn't stop but after a few seconds, it finally stopped before it cracked and moved to the walls. Another tunnel then made itself visible but this was completely dark even after the lamps were lit up. 'What? This is dark.' he commented

_"This must lead to a place that only Yhwach knows about. Check one of the rooms and this one as well. Maybe there is something you can use to light it up."_

'Alright.' Ichigo answered before searching the room further. 'I have to ask though, wouldn't anyone notice this?'

"**If it was Yhwach who personally made it, no. You also have to note that there is no reason for anyone to go behind the throne, or on the throne in general."**

'I guess you're right.' Ichigo said before he found something hidden on the throne itself. It was due to how that something was on the design of the throne. 'What is this?'

"**A flare? I guess the first quincies were smart enough to build one. Then again, it's not that much of a big deal."**

Ichigo just nodded at this and slammed one side of the flare into the wall, lighting up the other end. Before he entered the tunnel, he checked the throne again if there were more and he was right. There was another one and he took it and lit it again. He threw one into the tunnel and realized that it was deeper than he first thought. He released a couple creatures and had them hide at the entrance on this tunnel. Ichigo was glad that he did as he heard the doors close when he went deep enough. 'I guess this really is a secret place.' he said and pressed on. At first, he thought it was gonna go on forever but it really didn't go that deeper. He found himself in a very large room, one that rivaled even the main entrance by the waterfall. 'What is this place?' he asked in awe. Sure it was still in the same condition as the rest of the castle but it was huge and there were some random stuff inside it

_"Perhaps it is a treasure vault or something similar to it."_

'If that's true then why would it be hidden like this?'

_"The most likely reason is that this castle was built only to be a base of operations for the invasion and nothing more. Yhwach must have secretly built this himself as to hide any secrets he might have."_

'That's a reasonable explanation.' Ichigo said before summoning three more creatures. He then had them search the other parts of this giant room while he himself also joined in. It took him another few hours as Yhwach could have hidden anything anywhere. Eventually, he found something. It appeared to be a journal. This caught his interest and decided to read it while his creatures continued the search. He was rather surprised though that upon opening the journal, it didn't have anything written on it. 'What? Nothing's on here? Is this thing broken or something?'

_"It is not. It is a technique used to conceal secrets. Put it near something with high temperature and its contents will be revealed."_

'Would my flame work? And how long would it last?'

"**A few hours at most and I think so. Just raise the temperature and see what happens."**

Ichigo then did just that and was rather surprised that it actually worked. Since he didn't want to burn anything, it just revealed the contents are there was a lot. It actually contained a lot of details up until the point where Yhwach waged war a thousand years ago. However, it did not contain any information about the war between the soul king and his firstborn. All it contained were the events that happened from when Yhwach found out what his father did up until the war a thousand years ago. If all this information was legit, it means that the soul king is not what he sets himself out to be. 'Now that's strange. I never would have guessed that Yhwach would bother to keep a record, even if he is the only one who knows about it.' he commented as he flipped through the pages. The pages also mentioned that Yhwach knew about the sinners or at least part of them. It seems that ever since hell was created, the first person that was banished there only arrived a few centuries later. Like literally, hell was just an extremely bizarre, deserted place save for the guards, the kushanadas until the first person was banished there and that his name was 'Kokuto'. Apparently, regardless of how strong a sinner is, the kushanadas have the power to completely suppress the powers of a sinner and then to brutally remind them that they were nobodies

"**Why do you find that surprising? Unless you've known a person since they were born, there's always gonna be something about them that you never knew about."**

'I guess you're right but all this information is really interesting. So I guess the sinners really suffer down there.'

_"Indeed. People who have committed horrible acts would be condemned there to suffer for all eternity."_

'That still leaves a few questions though. Why would the kushanadas not stop these sinners?' Ichigo asked as he tried to look for an answer and found nothing

"**Judging from this book, it seems that Yhwach does not know everything about hell. It's obvious there are some things that only the sinners would know. If we're to find that out, we're gonna have to take that information from a sinner."**

_"But that would prove difficult in of itself considering that the sinner army should be in the soul society by now."_

'True but I wanna try something.'

"**What?"**

'If I raise the dead, I wonder if I can read its mind or have it say what's in it.'

"**That won't work. The dead don't know anything. However, you could try this. Since your control over it has greatly improved, maybe you can weaken someone to the point where you can take over his or her mind."**

'I thought you said I couldn't do that to anyone?'

"**By default yes but a being gets weaker the more it exerts itself. It's just a theory at this point and you won't lose anything if you do try."**

'Theory? You're supposed to be the zanpakuto. How are you not sure about it?'

"**Because this technique wasn't meant to be used that way in the first place and I've never tried it."**

'Shouldn't you know everything about your own powers?'

"**Only the default ones. What we're talking about isn't really part of your technique but really tweaking its rules so it is in the realm of possibilities."**

'Oh I see. Well, I guess we'll find out once I get my claws on one of them then.'

_"So, does that mean you are going to head to the soul society?"_

'Nope. Not yet anyway. I wanna save that trip for when I return to the royal palace. Besides, they might attack here once I'm there.'

"**That's a good point."**

He then checked the outside through the creatures that were still in the entrance and noticed that the sun was setting. Ichigo realized that he had been here for a very long time which isn't too surprising since this castle was huge. Since he was at the very secret part of the castle, found no traps of any kind and have his creatures in the room as well as other areas of the castle, Ichigo decided to take a rest for now

-**Soul Society-**

At dusk, part of the soul society have been turned into a citadel and the gates have been completely closed. The tireless ghouls have been invaluable for turning the seireitei to fit their needs. It did leave the sinners in a bit of strange position though. On one hand, they were safe. The soul reapers in the seireitei have all been neutralized while the ones not here will not be able to enter. On the other hand, their reinforcements can't come either so their standing forces will be the only ones

"Now this is an interesting situation. It seems we are trapped here inside and if we call in reinforcements, they will have to traverse the long distance all the way here." Szayelaparro said as he was working in the research and development with Shuren and Gunjo helping him personally

"So there is no way to open a way from hell directly to this place?" Gunjo asked

"That is not sure yet. It is possible for one to travel from hell to the outside world, however, if it isn't a natural distortion, it would be a one way trip." Szayelaparro said thoughtfully

"What makes you say that?" Shuren asked curiously

"Well, from what I've seen in hell, you can decide where to observe when you are near a distortion. A small known fact is that none of the outside world actually knows that these distortions have happened over the years. With this in mind, someone from hell might be able to use it to head to the outside world, however, this may have some unforseen consequences." Szayelaparro answered

"I see. How long until we can find out?" Shuren asked

"That would depend. The major consequences would make itself apparent almost immediately however, any minor detail would have to be sorted out. Plus, only the ones from hell would be able to initiate this process due to the lack of distortions in the seireitei." Szayelaparro answered

"As long as we get reinforcements and the others here, do whatever you have to." Shuren ordered and Szayelaparro nodded

"So, about this invasion, what exactly would be our main purpose?" Szayelaparro answered

"To conquer the outside world and take revenge on those that forced us to do what we did." Shuren said simply. It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the full truth either. The sinners real goal was to kill whoever created hell and to find a way to destroy the chains that bind them to hell. Nothing in hell is capable of destroying the chains but maybe something on the outside world can

**-Royal Palace-**

At the soul king's cocoon palace, something really strange was going on. It didn't take long why as the soul king stepped out of his bubble and summoned some sort of fancy outfit on him. It was mostly a dark blue robe with a scarlet cape. He also had a metallic headpiece that was akin to a crown but in the shape of two horns, not demonic horns but one from an animal. The robe itself was simple enough as aside from the coloration, it did not have any complicated designs, just some random patterns that were the same color as the cape. The same went for his pants as well which was the same color as his robe. He also wore some knee high boots that were golden in color. When he exited the bubble however, a small shockwave was released. It wasn't strong enough for it to be felt by anyone except for a select few, namely Ichigo, Aizen and Zhakuro

After the soul king stepped out of the bubble, he decided to take a stroll. He found the members of the royal guard just sitting in Hyosube's palace talking about various stuff. The five of them noticed someone approached but only one recognized him

"Who are you?" Tenjiro demanded to know and got into a fighting stance. Nimaiya also mimicked his actions

"This is the royal palace. No one should be able to come here without our permission." Senjumaru said but whoever this newcomer was did not bother to answer their questions

It was also at this moment that Kirio noticed that Ichibe was just staring at him, in complete shock with his mouth wide open. "Ichibe, do you know who he is?" she asked

"It's impossible. It's his majesty. The soul king himself." Ichibe answered after Kirio spoke, widening the eyes of everyone. Tenjiro and Nimaiya immediately put down their swords. However, Ichibe noticed that something was off. 'Is this what Ichigo warned about?' he wondered. "Is something wrong, your majesty?" he asked

The soul king on the other hand never even bothered to acknowledge their questions. He just looked at them all with a smile, completely making them uneasy

* * *

**Finished this one. I just decided to make the soul reapers surrender but with a good reason since it would take a long time to write if they battled it out. I already gave my reasons for why I'm trying to advance the story so don't complain too much. Also, about these distortions, this is something I'm gonna properly explain in one of the future chapters**

**Yeah I decided to bring back the arrancars because why not. Since Szayelaparro was already brought back then might as well bring everyone back. Just some minor spoilers, I'm probably gonna do the sinner invasion of hueco mundo next**

**One last thing, try to guess who the four horsemen are. They're all from the filler episodes **


	53. Chapter 52

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty Two - Beginning of the End**

**-Hell-**

Kokuto and Murakumo were at the peak of the Deathrise Citadel. The two of them were just playing chess which they learned while observing the distortions many years ago since they really didn't have anything else to do. The only thing that happened was that Shuren attacked the seireitei and haven't reported since and that the arrancars wanted to invade their former fortress on their own. Against his better judgment, Kokuto decided to just let them do whatever they want since a gateway is gonna be opened whether they succeed or fail and that was really the only thing they needed. Their little game was interrupted when a random sinner came up

"Lord Kokuto." the sinner said calmly

"Does it have to be now? I'm winning." Murakumo complained, which was a bit uncharacteristic of him

"Saved by the underling." Kokuto taunted before looking at the newcomer. "What is it?"

"I bring a report. Shuren has already subjugated the seireitei a few hours ago." the sinner answered

"Already? That was fast." Murakumo commented

"Indeed it is. How did he do that?" Kokuto asked

"From the report, it seems that Shuren has took control of the residents using his powers. When he invaded the seireitei, he got the commanding soul reapers to stand down on the threat that he has ordered the massacre of the rukongai district citizens should he engage in a battle." the sinner responded

"I see. That guy sure is creative." Murakumo said, impressed at how Shuren handled the situation. "Something about this seems off. Even with that threat, it shouldn't have been possible to subjugate the soul reapers that easily."

"Agreed. There is something else isn't there?" Kokuto asked suspiciously

"Yes there is my lord. According to Shuren, Kenpachi Zaraki was not in the seireitei during the attack." the sinner answered

"I see. So that's why it was so easy." Kokuto said thoughtfully

"There is also something else." the sinner answered and the other two just motioned for him to continue. "Szayelaparro has theorized that we may be able to make a one way gate directly into the seireitei. Since they have closed off all the gates, entry from the outside would be impossible. From what Shuren has told us, Kenpachi Zaraki went out of the seireitei and has not returned since."

"So what's the problem with that?" Murakumo asked curiously

"It's the reinforcements. If we send reinforcements, then they will end up at where they first exited and would have to traverse quite a distance." the sinner answered

"I see and while they are on the move, they might get ambushed by Zaraki." Kokuto said in realization. "What did Shuren do to the soul reapers?"

"He has kept them prisoners." the sinner answered

"Strange. Since when does Shuren keep prisoners?" Murakumo asked curiously

"It was my orders. I told him not to kill anyone of decent power." Kokuto answered and Murakumo didn't bother to ask as he kinda figured why. "You may leave now." he said to the sinner, who nodded before leaving

"So, what do we do?" Murakumo asked

"I want you to finish whatever the arrancars need and whatever they're planning to do. As long as the gateway is opened in hueco mundo, it will suffice." Kokuto ordered

"What about Ichigo Kurosaki? If we attack his allies then that invasion might fail if he joins in on the defense. None of us twelve apostles can stand up to him and if his personality remains the same as when he killed Yhwach, even all of us combined would have a hard time against him. I don't even think we know all about his powers." Murakumo pointed out

Kokuto was silent at this as he knew Murakumo had a good point. Ichigo was powerful, very powerful. He was well aware that the twelve apostles could defeat Ichigo if they fought him twelve to one. The problem is, if Ichigo has a trick up his sleeve, things could derail very quickly and if he is still that ruthless, he could literally kill every single one of them all on his own. "In that case, I'll deal with him myself." he said. He wasn't sure that he could defeat Ichigo in a one on one fight considering the hybrid is at least on Yhwach's level of power and that he was nowhere near that powerful

"How? And are you really sure you can defeat him on your own?" Murakumo asked with uncertainty

"I'm not but it's better than nothing." Kokuto answered. "Has Nnoitra reformed yet?"

"I'm not sure. I think so but I don't think he is back to full strength yet." Murakumo answered

"I see. Then send him in and make sure he tells Ichigo that sinners cannot be killed outside of hell." Kokuto ordered

"So you're plan is to take on Ichigo here?" Murakumo asked

"Yes. If Ichigo sees Nnoitra again, it should be enough for him to come here if he truly wants to stop our assaults. Since the barriers are weakened permanently, they can't expect to hold the line forever as they would suffer casualties while we won't. We would only be delayed by a few months at most. Even if we fail the next invasion and the next, we would slowly be chipping away at them." Kokuto explained

"I get it now. If he truly wants to stop us, he will have to do it at the source. And since killing us while our chains are still intact would be futile, you want him to just be occupied while we search for a way to destroy the chains." Murakumo said in realization

"Exactly. Even here, killing us is not gonna be easy. Unless of course he uses his bankai." Kokuto said as he nearly forgot about this one tiny detail. "Whatever the case, send in Nnoitra first. Then we'll make our next move once he is defeated again."

Murakumo nodded at this and left. Before he could leave the peak of the citadel, he looked back at Kokuto. "Oh by the way, I was winning." he said cheekily before finally leaving. He made his way down and met with the arrancars, specifically the privaron espada. "How are the preparations?" he asked as he approached them while they were doing something

The privaron espada stopped what they were doing and looked at the member of the twelve apostles. "Oh Murakumo. It's nearly finished. We decided to enter at three separate entry points, each a good distance away from the other." Dordoni answered

"Why is that exactly?" Murakumo asked

"Based on what you said, if we are spotted, it could delay us for quite a while. It will take longer to open since we would do it on three separate locations, but at the very least one of us might succeed before las noches finds anything out." Gantenbainne explained

"I see. That is a reasonable expectation. When will you be able to leave?" Murakumo asked

"In about three hours. Four at most." Cirucci answered

"Very well. Finish your preparations and inform me when you leave." Murakumo ordered and the three nodded before finishing their preparations. He then went to a distance away from the citadel, right to where Nnoitra has just reformed. "Nnoitra Gilga." he said as he approached the former espada

"What do you want?" Nnoitra asked, a bit annoyed

"You are to go back to the world of the living." Murakumo answered simply

"Why is that?" Nnoitra asked curiously

"Engage Ichigo Kurosaki again and this time, make sure he knows that we cannot be killed outside of hell." Murakumo answered

"Cannot be killed? Even here we cannot be killed unless our chains are destroyed." Nnoitra pointed out

"It doesn't matter. Just inform him that we cannot die outside of hell but ensure that you leave out the detail that even here we cannot be killed." Murakumo ordered. "We will kill Ichigo Kurosaki here in hell itself."

Nnoitra wanted to argue more as he did not understand why but then sported a massive grin at the mention of Ichigo being killed here. "So, when do I leave?" he asked with a wicked grin

**-World of the Living-**

Ichigo felt the slight shockwave and knew immediately it came from the royal palace as it emitted the strange feeling he felt when he was last there. As soon as he felt it, he decided to flip through the pages one more. He learned a lot about hell itself. There was even details about how to truly kill a sinner, you must destroy its chains first and it must be done in hell itself. If the chains are intact, they will still reform even if killed in hell. It also contains the details about how to seal of these distortions but to do so would require some sacrificial lambs and Ichigo knew exactly who to sacrifice for it. Somehow Yhwach knew about this but Ichigo didn't care too much as to how. He was curious about the legitimacy of this journal but there was no way to know that as the traces of spiritual pressure has already dissipated. One thing was for sure though, he's gonna have to enter hell itself and kill Kokuto there. Destroying the chains are gonna be a pain in the ass and would take too much time so he decided he'll just go bankai and end it very quickly. No more toying around

At the same time, Aizen has also found the hidden empire himself by tracking Ichigo's spiritual pressure, which has grown faint due to it being deep underground. Ichigo noticed Aizen enter the castle and had his creatures lead him to the throne meeting room. Aizen noticed the doorway behind the throne as one of the creatures pointed to it. He pushed the door and the tunnel appeared. Aizen followed it and found Ichigo just sitting there reading something

"Hello Aizen." Ichigo greeted

"So, this is where you have been. What is this place?" Aizen asked curiously

"This is the quincies first base of operations right before the war a thousand years ago." Ichigo said before getting up and looking at the newcomer. "Aizen, you felt that too right?"

"Indeed. However, I doubt anyone here other than the two of us felt it." Aizen answered

"Where have you been anyway?" Ichigo asked

"In town. Just trying to see if there was any sinner who would enter this world." Aizen answered before he noticed something on Ichigo's hand. "What is that?"

"A journal. I think it belongs to Yhwach, I'm not sure." Ichigo said and threw it at him. Aizen caught at and did a simple scan. He didn't exactly read it but he stopped to look at it enough that he noticed it contains details about the sinners

"I see. Do you think any of this is true?" Aizen asked as he threw it back at Ichigo

"I'm not exactly sure." Ichigo answered as he caught it. "There is only one way to find out."

Aizen immediately knew what Ichigo was talking about but it had a major flaw. "And how are you supposed to get that information from a sinner? I highly doubt anyone would tell you anything."

"Leave that to me." Ichigo said calmly as he used the reishi in the air to create some ropes before tying it to his outfit along with the journal so he can keep it with him

"Alright. And I would guess you would want to go to hell to end the sinners once and for all." Aizen asked with an amused expression

"You know me all too well." Ichigo answered and mimicked his expression

"You are aware that that's exactly what they would want right? To lure you into their home and fight you with a territorial advantage." Aizen pointed out

"I know but there isn't a choice. The sinners can only be killed in by destroying their chains in hell. If they die outside, they just reform, If I destroy their chains outside, it won't work for whatever reason. Honestly, I don't know how Yhwach got all this knowledge and I don't think it really matters one way or the other." Ichigo answered

"That's a good point." Aizen said in realization. SInce he didn't read all the details, he didn't know about it but he knew there was no other choice. "So, when are we going there?"

"We?" Ichigo asked, confused

"Yes, we. You will require some kind of backup there." Aizen said seriously

"And what reason do you have to wanna go there yourself?" Ichigo asked suspiciously. He didn't distrust Aizen that much anymore due to Zangetsu telling him about the guy and how the one guy who always appeared to be a calm and cold person told him the truth about himself. However, him going to hell to back Ichigo up was a bit too much for Ichigo's taste

"To see if I can find the seal." Aizen answered, still with a serious expression

Ichigo eyed him for a bit. He tried to read Aizen's expression but that is proving very difficult. It wasn't an unreasonable goal as most of his life was influenced directly or indirectly by the seal. "Alright, Aizen. In fact, I think I'll help you once we deal with Kokuto."

Aizen wanted to ask who that was but figured he was the guy commanding the sinners. For some reason, it must have been somehow written by Yhwach on the journal. "I see you want answers yourself as well." he said with a smirk

"Of course I do. Besides, with that shockwave that only the two of us felt, I think us just mindlessly fighting the sinners wouldn't be a good idea, especially since something is definitely not right in all this." Ichigo answered

"I agree. So I will ask again. When do we leave?" Aizen asked

"Well, we're not leaving anytime soon. We don't have an entrypoint to hell. We'll have to find one first and I have no idea what it would even look like." Ichigo answered honestly

Aizen wasn't at all surprised at this as it was kinda obvious that Ichigo had not planned this out fully and only recently decided on it. "Leave that to me then. I already know what it looks like so it shouldn't take me that long, unless of course a sinner comes in and you feel it, in which case you'll probably find it first."

"Alright then. In the meantime, I'll stay here and try to find out as much as I can. This journal has already given me a lot of details but I don't want to leave any stone unturned in this castle." Ichigo said

"Very well." Aizen said before handing Ichigo something

"What's this?" Ichigo asked

"A communcation device. I asked Kisuke for two of these so I can contact you. However, I tweaked it a bit so that he can't use it to contact us but if we need to, we can contact him." Aizen explained

"Interesting. This should make things a lot quicker than finding each other." Ichigo commented and put it on his ear. "You can find your way out right?"

"Yes and I'll figure out how to open that door again once I get there." Aizen said, talking about the entrance to this secret room

"Alright then. I'll see you soon Aizen." Ichigo said to which Aizen nodded before leaving

Aizen made his way to the door and as he expected, it was closed. He tried to push it a bit and was rather surprised as it opened once more. He actually expected it to be a bit trickier to open again but it wasn't. Then again, why would anyone put a secret room only for it to be incredibly difficult to get out. Once he went back to the throne meeting room, he made his way outside

**-Hueco Mundo-**

About five hours later, the privaron espada have finally entered hueco mundo. They were completely far away from each other. Gantenbainne was the closest to las noches at about seventy miles away from it. It was still far away and the location he arrived at appeared to be some mountain ridges. It was still a desert. Unfortunately for him, the location was not an elevated one. In fact, it was at the center of a valley among the ridgeline. This was gonna make his job a lot harder as there was no way to get a visual if someone was coming and there was no way to know for sure if las noches was aware of him. He secured checked the surrounding area first to see if there was any hollow nearby and found none. He then waited for a bit to see if anyone was coming this way and after a few minutes of waiting, he tried to manipulate this distortion

Cirucci was in the same position as Gantenbainne except she was a bit further. About seventy three miles from las noches and in another direction from the fortress. Unlike Gantenbainne however, her location was just the desert plains of hueco mundo. One could see for a miles away, making her in a better spot than he was. Not wasting any more time, she began manipulating the distortion to try and turn it into a gateway

Dordoni was probably the one in the best spot of the three. He was literally a hundred and seven miles of las noches. Well beyond the reach of their radar however, Dordoni obviously did not know about this. None of the privaron espada did and that was for obvious reasons.. He grumbled for a bit at this annoying task but didn't do it for too long. His location was also much better than the other two as it was on top of a rather high elevation far out in the desert. Not that far from him was another mountain range, a desert one obviously. Just like the other two, he began to manipulate this distortion as well

Unfortunately for two of them, las noches immediately picked up their locations. Rudbornn, who basically stays in the control room most of the time, saw them and grew suspicious. He even moved his own personal quarters to be near the control room. The instant the radar picked up the spiritual pressures of the former espadas, an alarm that Kisuke installed along with the radar sounded, alerting everyone and causing them to stop whatever they were doing

"This is Rudbornn." he said through the comms in the control room to everyone else. "We have a situation."

"What's going on?" Sung Sun asked as the alarm was so noisy. Her two fellow fraccion also stopped their bickering as they grew worried

"The radar picked up something. It's the former privaron espada, Gantenbainne Mosqueda and Cirucci Sanderwicci." Rudbornn answered

"I see. Where are they?" Ulquiorra asked

"They're far away. A little over seventy miles away in two different directions. Gantenbainne is to the south east, among the mountain ranges there. Cirucci is to the west just among the plains." Rudbornn answered as he began to initiate a scan for anyone else

"That's too far. We will have to deal with both of them at the same time." Nel commented

"There is also something else. They are both completely alone ." Rudbornn said as the scan finished

"Are you sure about that?" Nel asked curiously

"I am. I just initiated a scan which finished just now. There is no one else within the range of the radar however, it may be possible there are hollows nearby as well. There is no way to know for sure as the radar only detects non hollow creatures." Rudbornn answered

"That still leaves a problem. What about Dordoni?" Harribel pointed out

"I am not sure. He is not showing up on radar." Rudbornn asked as he intiated another scan. "So, what do we do?"

"I will go find Cirucci." Nel volunteered almost immediately

"We'll come with you master Nel." Pesche answered almost instantly

"No, you'll stay here." Nel said seriously, surprising them. "If it is a trap, it's better if only one of us goes down. We cannot afford to make the same mistake we did with the quincies." she said before they could protest

"I will go as well. I'll go deal with Gantenbainne." Harribel said. "You girls stay here." she said before the three could respond. Given the seriousness in Harribel's voice, her fraccion just sucked it up

"Alright then. Starrk and I will stay here and guard the fortress. Also, try to take them alive. It shouldn't be a problem." Ulquiorra said over the comms

"Very well then. Let's meet up at the main gates Nelliel." Harribel said

"On my way." Nel said and left her quarters to head to the gates

"Hey Rudbornn, inform Kisuke on what's going on over here." Starrk finally joined the conversation

"Why?" Rudbornn asked curiously, although he already knew the reason. He just wanted to make sure

"Just to let them all know that it's beginning. Besides, we might need some back up so tell him that as well." Starrk explained

"I understand. I'll hang up now." Rudbornn said and got no objections so he hung up

Nel and Harribel met up at the gates soon after that. Without wasting a moment, the headed off to different directions, each towards where one of their former colleagues was all the while Rudbornn was giving them instructions and updates on what was happening. Starrk and Ulquiorra on the other hand began preparing the defenses of las noches while the fracciones began preparing a dungeon for their expected prisoners. The power level between them and the privaron espadas was already great when they were still all under Aizen's command and since every single one have trained real hard ever since their former leader's defeat, the battles shouldn't be that hard. The only question was if their former comrades got stronger as well as the key word was 'shouldn't'

"Rudbornn, can you send some exequias after us a few minutes from now?" Nel asked politely

"Why though?" Harribel asked as she too got on comms

"So that they can carry them when we take them as prisoners while each of us will be the ones guarding it. If we have to do both they might use that chance to injure us." Nel explained

"I understand. I'll send them over once you are close to their locations. I will keep you updated first and let you on your own once you're near." Rudbornn answered

"That's fine. Thanks." Nel said

Soon enough, Harribel arrived first at Gantenbainne's location. Instead of just recklessly attacking him, she decided to instead check this area. "Rudbornn, this is Harribel. I'm at the location. Is there any update?"

"Not much. Gantenbainne is still completely alone in this location. There is a bit of a spike of unknown spiritual pressure though however, it is not that much." Rudbornn exlained. "Just be careful of any hollows nearby."

"I will." Harribel said and began scouring the area. Since she kept her spiritual pressure hidden, her approach should have been detected. Contrary to Rudbornn's warning, there wasn't even a single hollow in this area, aside from her and the former espada although that warning was still pretty useful. Just to make sure, she rotated in the area a few times and it was completely deserted. It wasn't surprising as most of the non adjuchas hollows are usually in the menos forest while adjuchas would only surface when they are on their own trying to get stronger. Having had enough, she went to where the spiritual pressure was and found her former colleague concentrating his spirit energy into a weird distortion. This time, she knew it was a distortion since the space at where the former espada was concentrating looked wobbly. Not wasting a minute, Harribel immediately fired a cero at him

Gantenbainne noticed this and dodged at the last second. He looked at where it came from and saw his former colleague. "Tier Harribel."

"Stand down Gantenbainne." Harribel ordered seriously

"I am sorry but I no longer take orders from you." Gantenbainne countered before drawing his two push daggers

As soon as Gantenbainne drew his daggers, Harribel immediately fired another cero, forcing him to dodge and it created an explosion. When Gantenbainne collected himself, Harribel was already behind him and kicked him away. He didn't let this faze him that much but one thing was clear, Harribel was clearly stronger than when she was during their time under Aizen's command. Gantenbainne on the other hand, didn't really get that much stronger since then as he was busy learning how to manipulate the reishi of the distortions

Harribel noticed the doubt in her former colleague and immediately pressed her attack. Since she has also mastered high speed regeneration like Ulquiorra, any injuries she receives shouldn't be that big of a problem, unless of course she got too reckless but that was too far fetched considering her personality. Gantenbainne was forced on the defensive ever since the fight began. Harribel's fighting style was incredibly difficult to read as she would quickly switch from hand to hand to using her sword, a habit she, along with the other arrancars got from Ichigo. He tried to attack her when he got the chance but Harribel was a bit too fast. He suffered quite a few injuries from Harribel's vicious attacks and was still on the defensive

Gantenbainne changed his tactics and began charging spirit energy between his daggers while he was dodging. When he gathered enough, he tried to mount a counter attack and it worked, to a certain extent as now, Harribel was forced to dodge all of his attacks. Since he got her on the run, he used Uno Dos Cientos technique, landing a blow before immediately going for multiple jabs. Most missed but some managed to hit Harribel and when he went for the cientos part to finish her off, Harribel quickly released a cero by slashing her sword, ruining the momentum of his attack and forced him to dodge. She then quickly flashed behind him, wounds already healed thanks to her high speed regeneration, and kicked him right on the back, causing him great pain. Before Gantenbainne could even react, he slashed him down his torso from behind and threw him into the mountain walls before firing another cero, this time scoring a direct hit

When the smoke cleared, Gantenbaine stood there, clearly injured from the attack. This wasn't going well for him obviously and he knew he had only one shot at this and that was to release his resureccion and overpower her before she could release hers. When he got into his sword release stance, things went south for him even further. Harribel was also after the same thing and completely prevented him from releasing his own resureccion as she quickly punched one of his daggers away. This caused Gantenbainne's eyes to widen in shock but still couldn't react as she kicked him once more before throwing him back down. He tried to reach for his other dagger but Harribel caught on almost immediately and sliced of one of his arms. Before he could try anything else, she quickly slashed him multiple times and one even near his neck, causing him to fall down and not much later, lose consciousness. As soon as Harribel put away her sword, the exequias finally arrived. She wasn't sure if they only arrived now or have been observing from a distance but it didn't matter either way

"Take him back to the fortress." Harribel ordered. Even though they were just empty shells, the exequias followed the orders and picked up the allen arrancar and flashed away. Harribel then followed them herself, keeping a close eye in case the former espada would try anything

Just a bit later after Harribel arrived at Gantenbainne's location, Nel also had a visual on Cirucci since she was in the plains area. Like with Harribel, she also hid her spiritual pressure and as expected, Cirucci didn't even feel her approach. Nel decided not to be that aggressive, yet as she could clearly see into the distance and there was nobody else but her and the former privaron espada. "You're right Rudbornn. She really is alone. There is no one else here." she said over the comms.

"I see. Harribel also reported the same thing just now. Be very careful though." Rudbornn answered

"I will. Thanks for the heads up." Nel said and hung up before she sneaked up on her prey in an attempt to end this as quickly as she could since her target was also busy concentrating on something. Nel was rather curious as to what it was but she could always get her answers later. Once she was close enough, she attempted to cut down the privaron espada and it actually worked. Cirucci was interrupted from what she was doing and was sent reeling from the injury she just received. Not wasting a moment, Cirucci immediately threw her whip blade behind her without even being a hundred percent sure her attacker was still there

Nel saw this coming and immediately side stepped. SInce her opponent's weapon was a whip, it wouldn't be easy to change its directions once thrown and Nel used that to her advantage. She flashed right in front of Cirucci and kicked her right in the abdomen, sending her reeling once more. Cirucci however, used this chance to blindside Nel by withdrawing her blade but Nel was well aware of how a whip works and when Cirucci's blade got close, she somersaulted, dodging it completely. Since Nel was forced to dodge, this gave Cirucci the chance to regain her composure and decided to have a little chat

"I don't think we've met before but you're clearly an espada level fighter. I'm Cirucci Sanderwicci by the way." she introduced herself

"Nelliel tu Odelschwank." she introduced herself simply

"Nelliel? The one Nnoitra forced out of las noches?" Cirucci asked in surprise

"Yes, that is me." Nel answered honestly. It really didn't bother her that much anymore

"Were you the one that killed him?" Cirucci asked curiously as if she was in her position, she would immediately try to kill whoever does her wrong, or just about anyone that annoys her for that matter

"No I am not." Nel said and resumed her assault

Cirucci had no idea just how powerful this espada was. All she knew was the she was once the third espada before she suddenly disappeared. Cirucci did not let up and knew that user her blade as a whip was a bad idea given how easy it is to dodge. So, she instead decided to wait for Nel to come close and when she did, she launched her whip at Nel, who was forced to block. Nel didn't really need to block this as she could have simply side stepped but decided to take the risk anyway. It worked as Cirucci was now occupied in trying to push her back that it left her wide open as Nel fired a quick bala at the privaron espada, scoring a direct hit and causing the whip blade to lose its momentum

The bala didn't do too much damage but since Cirucci lost her focus, it allowed Nel to flash in really close and kick her again, this time right on the face

"That's it. Enough playing around." Cirucci fumed as she slowly got up. "Now rip..." she said, attempting to release her resureccion but failed to do so as Nel suddenly flashed in front of her while she was busy fuming and cut her across the torso. This time, she wasn't even given a chance to regain her composure as Nel quickly slammed her into the ground, causing Cirucci to cough up sand. "Funny. I always thought you hated fighting." she said before coughing up more sand, with some blood even

"You're right. I actually don't like fighting. However, if fighting is the only choice I have then I will gladly do it." Nel declared before charging a violet cero on her fingers and shooting it right at her opponent, causing a huge explosion

When the smoke finally cleared, Cirucci was revealed to be bleeding badly. She raised her whip again in a desperate attempt to release her resureccion and even the odds despite knowing full well that Nel still has hers. Nel didn't hesitate for a moment as they needed information and quickly cut Cirucci down, finally causing her to lose consciousness. Like with Harribel, the exequias arrived almost instantly after the privaron espada's defeat

"You're here." Nel said as she looked at them. "Take them to the fortress but be very careful about it." she ordered and the exequias promptly obeyed and left, carrying an unconcious Cirucci with them. Nel also followed them closely behind

**-World of the Living-**

Karakura Town

Right before the battles raged in hueco mundo, Kisuke just got off the phone and frowned at what he heared

"What is it Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked curiously

"It's the sinners. They've already appeared in hueco mundo." Kisuke said, a bit worried

Yoruichi also frowned at this but it was to be expected. The sinners were gonna make their appearance sooner or later anyway. "What happened?"

"Nothing, yet. It seems that the sinners have sent some of Aizen's former subordinate. Nel and Harribel went out to try and incapacitate them." Kisuke answered before adopting a thoughtful expression. "I think we should prepare to go help them."

"What about the town? I mean sure the others are here but would it be enough?" Yoruichi pointed out. As much as she wanted to help the arrancars, they had their own problems

"I doubt that the sinners would attack here. Even if they do, Ichigo will probably kill them as soon as they do." Kisuke answered

"Ichigo? He's here? What makes you say that?" Yoruichi asked and now she was genuinely curious. Last time she saw the kid, it didn't exactly end well but she didn't hold it against him. She wasn't really the type to hold grudges against anyone and considering what Ichigo went through, it wasn't that unreasonable as during their time in the soul society, they completely forgot at how the level of power can potentially change the outcome of an event all on its own

"Well, from what Aizen said, he was looking for the quincies' original empire. By process of elimination, it would be impossible for it to be in hueco mundo otherwise Aizen would have known about it and there wouldn't have been a need for a search if it was in the soul society since Ichigo utterly destroyed it. That only leaves this world." Kisuke answered. He was well aware that he wasn't accounting for anything in the mountains far away from the seireitei but it seemed very unlikely due to how the wandenreich was already there

"I see. And if it was where Yhwach staged his assault on the soul society a thousand years ago, finding it is not gonna be easy nor is finding any clues about the sinners." Yoruichi said in realization

"Exactly. We should inform the others about this first though but that's just my two cents. Someone needs to go prepare to help them. Not only that, they might have an idea on how the sinners move from hell to the other side and could help us identify in finding them. Knowing Ichigo, he's probably gonna find one himself and end it in hell itself." Kisuke said. Everything he said about Ichigo just now was just based on pure speculation. If the barriers were weakened due to Yhwach's death, then who knows just how many soldiers the sinners have. Like Yoruichi, he didn't hold a grudge at Ichigo as he realized that the kid was just taking on the burden of stopping this crisis all on his own and for good reason. In fact, he, along with all the other former captains, felt regret and disappointment all pointed at themselves at how such a young person was now taking on something so big

"Alright. I'll contact the others." Yoruichi said and left

In another part of the world, a different continent in fact and the one furthest away from the enriched spirit zone, the earth suddenly began to tremble. It was getting stronger at a very slow pace but it was happening. Something much bigger than the sinner's invading while trying to find a way to freedom was happening right here and now

* * *

**Here it is. I wanna explain a few things before anyone complains about it. First, the members of the twelve apostles are Shuren and the other members of his crew from the hell verse movie and I haven't mentioned who the others are yet. Also, when it was mentioned Ichigo can take on all of them on his own, that wasn't a lie. If it was a fair fight, Ichigo would definitely lose. The reason why Ichigo would be able to take them all on is because of his superior power when compared to each one individually and by using any trick up his sleeve, which is his invisibility, he can take them out one at a time and completely disorient them. I will also explain later on how the sinners are not aware of that technique. So with his invisibility combined with his other abilities, it is possible for him to take on twelve very powerful opponents all at once. Speaking of opponents, I did not want to elongate the battle between the two female espada and the privarons. In this story as you should have noticed by now, is not all about power. Yes power is very important but I don't want it to be the single decisive factor. Any battles would also include a fighter's personality and intellect as even if you have the greatest power in the universe, if you're retarded, it is still possible for you to be defeated. This is part of the reason on why I wrote Ichigo the way I did**

**Oh and don't be surprised about Aizen teaming up with Ichigo. When I read that in the manga, it was probably the moment that I enjoyed bleach again. I always enjoy villains who are willing to ally with the protagonist even though Ichigo was incredibly annoying in the canon**

**One last thing, anyone care to guess what is happening at the very end?**

**That's about it for now**


	54. Chapter 53

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty Three - Desert Warfare**

**-Karakura Town-**

Everyone just gathered at the Urahara shop, trying to decide on who to send to las noches to help the arrancars

"So, who wants to go there?" Kisuke asked the gathered crowd

"Have the sinners attacked already?" Bambietta asked curiously

"Not yet, according to what Rudbornn said anyway. All he said was that some of the arrancars who were killed when Ichigo and the others attacked las noches have returned. From what Nel and Harribel said after capturing them, they have some chains on them." Yoruichi explained

"So it's only a matter of time then." Bambietta said in realization. "What about here? Have they come?"

"Doubt they would come that recklessly. Ichigo is here and it would be a complete suicide if they ever do come without a plan." Kisuke answered

"I'm not even gonna bother to ask how you're so sure that he's here." Candice said sarcastically

**"**Good. Less explanations then." Kisuke said joyfully and caused Candice to growl a bit

"Regardless, who should go? Since the arrancars captured the sinners alive, they would want information and it could be of some help to us as well." Isshin said

"I think it should be Candice and Bazz B. I mean, they're the only ones who can slowly torture them for information." Liltotto said and drew curious gazes from everyone. "What? Are you really expecting them to just hand out the information for free?"

"No we don't. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that." Yoruichi muttered

"Why me though? Ichigo would have my head if I leave this town." Candice asked worriedly

"Don't worry about it." Isshin said and drew a curious gaze from the green haired girl. "I'm here so the girls are safe. Bambietta is also here to help out. Besides, you're just gonna get some information. If anything happens, just tell us and we'll see who can go."

"You better be right about that." Candice muttered in worry. Internally, she paled a bit as she did not want to be on the receiving end of Ichigo's wrath

"Just tell him it was my instructions. You're abilities are also decent for torture." Isshin said reassuringly

"Surprising. I never would have thought Ichigo's father of all people would support torture." Meninas commented

"He doesn't. None of us do. It's simply if the worst comes to pass." Ryuken explained. While he didn't appreciate torturing anyone, they need as much information as they can

"Alright. If that's settled then Bazz B and Candice go. If anything happens inform us okay?" Kisuke said

"Yeah yeah. Let's just get this over with." Bazz B said and began walking to the garganta, followed by Candice

"If the worst does comes to pass, Tsukishima and I will back you up in hueco mundo." Ginjo offered

"Thanks." Candice said simply. She was still scared if Ichigo would be pissed off at this

Soon enough, Kisuke began opening the garganta and the two quincies left

**-Hueco Mundo-**

A few hours later, the privaron espada were starting to regain consciousness following their battle against Nel and Harribel. When they awoke, they were surprised that their wounds have healed. Their joy at this was short lived as they realized that not only was their spiritual pressure somehow suppressed, they were also in a dungeon

"What the hell? Where are we?" Cirucci yelled out once she regained consciousness

"It's las noches. It seems they wanted us as prisoners." Gantenbainne answered as he noticed the surroundings

"Damn that Nelliel. I swear when I get out I will rip her head off." Cirucci fumed

"Nelliel? The former third espada?" Gantenbainne asked in surprise

"The same one." Cirucci continued to fume

"So she's back in las noches. I wonder what happened." Gantenbainne said

"Nnoitra somehow forced her out of las noches. Like that really matters." Cirucci answered bitterly. "So what do we tell them?"

"Let's just tell them that Dordoni is in the world of the living. Besides, it shouldn't be that long before he finishes." Gantenbainne said thoughtfully

"Would they really buy that actually?" Cirucci wondered but knew there was no definite response and from the way her comrade said it, it seems he too wasn't fully confident in it

Their discussion was interrupted when the doors to the dungeon was opened and Nel came in, along with Ulquiorra and someone they didn't know but judging from the spiritual pressure, it was a quincy

"These ones are your former comrades?" the quincy asked

"And just who in the hell are you? I thought most of the quincies were wiped out." Cirucci said tauntingly

"Candice Catnipp." she introduced herself. "Actually, there are a few of us left. It's none of your business so I won't bother to explain."

"At least you survived being nearly wiped out by the soul reapers." Cirucci retorted in an attempt to piss her off but it didn't work. Candice merely grinned at this as nothing could be further from the truth

"That's enough." Nel said and stopped the two other girls from their little banter. "Cirucci, Gantenbainne, what were you doing?" she asked, referring to when they were concentrating on when they found them. "What was that when the space around you became wobbly or distorted?"

"Like we'd ever tell you." Cirucci quickly answered

"Where is Dordoni?" Ulquiorra asked simply

"He's in the world of the living, attempting to do what we were trying to do, trying to create a gateway for the rest of the sinners to arrive." Gantenbainne explained and everyone narrowed their eyes at this

The three non prisoners then merely stared at Gantenbainne to see if his expression would waver. To their surprise, it actually did not

"So they only sent two to try and open a gateway?" Nel asked

"We only need one distortion turned into a gateway for our army to arrive." Cirucci said calmly, which surprised them considering how hot headed she was

"Hey Ulquiorra." Candice said and got the attention of said arrancar. "How far does the radar you have here reach out to?"

"About a hundred miles. Why?" Ulquiorra asked. He was well aware of what she was implying at this point

"Because I'm sure that this Dordoni guy, which is probably a former espada himself, is here in hueco mundo beyond the range of that radar." Candice said with a smirk. This time, the two privaron espadas were the ones that widened their eyes as they've just been busted and that Gantenbainne's plan failed miserably

At the same time out in the deserts, Dordoni finally finished his task. The other espadas were the first to step through the gateway. Barragan, Aaroniero, Zommari and Yammy. A large army of the gargoyles soon followed along with more dullahans and ghouls. Surprisingly, they were all joined by Barragan's fracciones, who for whatever reason, were not there when they first gathered

"You have done well. Now, onward to las noches." Barragan ordered as he got on a horse from hell along with the others. "Stay here and make sure it remains open." he ordered to Dordoni, who nodded in response

"As you have commanded your majesty." all of his fracciones yelled in unison and led the charge, moving as quickly as they could towards las noches

When they reached a certain distance, they were immediately picked up by the radar in las noches. Rudbornn quickly got on comms as the alert sounded once more

"What's going on?" Ulquiorra said, being the first to respond

"They have arrived. All the former espadas, minus Szayelaparro, Nnoitra and Grimmjow, have come leading a very large army of sinners. Barragan's fracciones have also come with them." Rudbornn answered

"I see. Ready the army in both the forest and in the fortress. We'll move to intercept them when they're about fifty miles away." Harribel said

"I understand. Will all of you be joining the fight?" Rudbornn asked

"Yes. All of us. You stay here and make sure we have more soldiers." Nel responded, which was a bit surprising since she usually doesn't take command or give any orders to anyone other than her fraccion

"Alright then. We'll meet you at the gates." Starrk said and got a confirmative response from everyone else. Rudbornn then hung up the connection and began organizing the movements of the army

"We'll help you out as well." Candice said to the two espadas in the dungeons. "Bazz B meet me at the gates. They have arrived." she said through her own comms

"Alright. I guess you know what that alarm was then." Bazz B responded and moved towards the gates. Since he was hanging out with Starrk, all he had to do was follow him to find the gates

"Let's go." Ulquiorra said and turned to leave

"Just a minute." Candice said and caused the two espadas to grow curious. She then fired a couple lightning bolts right at the prisoners, completely knocking them unconscious. "Now, let's go."

"Did you kill them?" Nel asked curiously

"Nope. Just shocked them enough to make them lose consciousness for a few hours." Candice said and with that, they all left the dungeons. "Kisuke, this is Candice. We have a situation here." she said as they were heading to the gates

"What is it?" Kisuke asked

"It's the sinners. All of Aizen's espada except three of them have come to attack. Bazz B and I are gonna help the arrancars." Candice answered and widened the eyes of Kisuke

"I see. I'll send Ginjo and Tsukishima over and in the meantime, we'll tighten up here." Kisuke said

"Send Gigi as well. We might need her zombies here and tell them to head to las noches. If we're not here then have her find Rudbornn to ask for the situation." Candice ordered

"Alright Candice. There is one more thing you should know." Kisuke said

"What is it?" Candice asked

"Aizen just came here a few minutes ago and it seems that Ichigo has succeeded in finding information about the sinners. Apparently they can't be killed outside of hell." Kisuke said and widened the eyes of Candice which did not go unnoticed. "According to what Ichigo said, the only way to truly kill a sinner is to head inside hell, destroy the chains there and kill them once and for all. If you kill them outside of hell, then they'll just reform after a few days or weeks so try to capture them so we can weaken their ranks. Also, Aizen theorized that Ichigo may have also found a way to prevent them from crossing worlds in the first place but he wasn't able to confirm it for some reason."

"I see. Thanks for the heads up Kisuke." Candice said with a frown

"Be very careful, all of you alright." Kisuke said

"We will. Thanks." Candice said and hung up

"What was that about?" Nel asked curiously

"I'll tell you when we meet the others. It's something that all of us should know." Candice said and the arrancars nodded reassuringly. A few minutes later, they all arrived at the gates and Candice told them the information she received from Kisuke

"What? So you're saying we can't kill any of them here?" Apacci asked in a panic

"It seems so." Candice answered sadly

"Then what are we going to do? We can't hold off the sinner attacks forever." Lilynette asked as she too was starting to panic

"For now, we'll just hold them off. Aizen said that Ichigo may know a way to prevent the sinners from crossing to this world. However, I think we should play safe and try not to kill them but only weaken them so that we can keep them in the dungeons." Candice said thoughtfully

"That's not gonna be easy." Pesche said

"Since when was a war ever easy." Sung Sun pointed out

"So what's the game plan?" Dondochakka asked

"Me, the quincies and the espadas will confront them head on. You guys head to the menost forest and ready the army. Have Rudbornn keep you updated." Nel said

"I agree with Nelliel on this one. Me, Bazz B and Candice can inflict some casualties upon them from our long range abilities." Harribel added

"Indeed but with only so few of us we would get overwhelmed quickly." Starrk pointed out

"Then we'll bring along a small army. Not much but enough to slow them down. While the fracciones are in the forest, they should gather the army quickly and attack from the side and flank." Ulquiorra said

"Would that really work though?" Mila Rose asked curiously

"That depends." Nel said. "Rudbornn, what direction are sinners coming from?" she asked through the comms

"It's to the northwest. They're about eighty five miles away. From the radar, they have nearly four thousand soldiers charging straight towards our direction." Rudbornn responded which widened the eyes of the arrancars but they quickly regained their composure

"The menos forest is to the west of here. If we confront them head on then our army can flank them." Harribel said

"But what if they attack the menos forest first?" Lilynette pointted out

"Then we get to ambush them from behind." Nel said with a frown. "We could also split up and hide in the desert and go for random long range shots."

"You mean a hit and run?" Starrk asked curiously

"That and hide and seek. We can hide ourselves in the desert if we lay low and if we hide our spiritual pressure." Nel answered and got no further questions

"Then it's decided. We'll hide out in the desert and hide our spiritual pressures and try to slow them down. You quincies alright with that?" Ulquiorra asked while looking at said people

"I'm good with that. My flames can travel to about three and a half miles in a straight line if I continuously fire it." Bazz B said

"Me as well. My lightning can reach up to four miles if I have a direct visual." Candice added

"It's settled then. Let's go." Ulquiorra said and they all left along with about two hundred hollows, combined with random hollows and the exequias. Candice looked back and saw there were a lot more hollows in the fortress, all of them came out of hiding from view beneath the desert and it did surprise her a bit as they all took up defensive position while the fracciones rode on Bawabawa and headed straight for the forest

With the sinners, they were still making their way towards the fortress

"Couldn't that fool make the gateway closer to las noches?" Abirama grumbled as they were charging

"It can't be help. It was lucky that Dordoni wasn't even caught or detected, unlike Cirucci and Gantenbainne." Choe Neng Poww retorted calmly

"He's right though. Considering how quickly the other two were caught, we should be grateful that we even got a gateway opened." Ggio pointed out

"Enough whining. Just keep moving." Barragan ordered and they continued the charge

Nearly two full hours later, the fortress finally came into view. Unfortunately, they all knew that this was only the beginning. The trek towards las noches was still a very long time. Luckily for them, the horses they were on as well as the ghouls and gargolyes were tireless soldiers

"It's finally in vision. However, it should go without saying it's still very far away." Zommari pointed out as they paused for a bit

"How far away is it anyway?" Yammy grumbled

"Just on a wild calculation, it should be at most, sixty miles." Aaroniero answered

"That's too far." Yammy continued to grumble

"Who cares? Just keep moving." Barragan said and the charge soon resumed

Later, Barragan suddenly ordered them to stop

"What is it, Lord Barragan?" Findorr asked. The former espadas however, knew full well what was on their comrade's mind

"It's the menos forest. It's to our right." Aaraniero said while pointing at the direction

"Do we make a detour and attack there first?" Zommari asked their self proclaimed leader

Without even a moment's hesitation, Barragan gave his answer. "No we do not. We charge towards las noches. We can deal with the forest later."

"You heard Lord Barragan. Charge!" Abirama yelled and led the charge and the army soon resumed their blind charge towards their old home

Rudbornn noticed them stop for a moment before they began moving again. He decided to contact everyone and inform them of their enemy's movements. "This is Rudbornn. Be warned, the sinners are completely ignoring the menos forest and are heading your way, master Ulquiorra."

"I see. Everyone, get in position." Ulquiorra said and everyone split up, hiding their spiritual pressures as well as their bodies beneath the sand. Candice and Bazz B even brought cloaks to protect themselves from the desert environment

"I'll send the fullbringers and Giselle Gewelle over there now." Rudbornn said as he looked at the three

"Alright. I will leave about two exequias behind. Have another one of your exequias lead them to the ones here and await position. Be sure to connect their communication devices with ours." Ulquiorra ordered

"As you wish, master Ulquiorra." Rudbornn said and borrowed the devices from the three before doing something with it on the computer. He then gave it back to them and another exequias came into the control room. "Follow him. He will lead you to where the others are."

"What about you?" Ginjo curiously asked

"I'll stay here. I'm on monitoring duty." Rudbornn responded

"I see. Let's go then." Ginjo ordered. Tsukishima and Giselle nodded at this and left, lead by the exequias soldier

At this point, the fracciones have already arrived in the menos forest and the army there is now ready to attack at a moments notice. Since most of the gillians and other lesser hollows won't have any idea on how to hide their spiritual pressures, their only goal would be a direct ambush. They were also aware that by now, the sinners are completely ignoring them. Only time will tell if that was a mistake or not

Ginjo and the others finally linked up with Ulquiorra and the rest. Under Ulquiorra's instructions, they dug some trenches in the desert as to reduce their visual profile. All the others also did the same and they hid in different areas. Ulquiorra was with Nel, Ginjo, Tsukishima and Giselle in one trench. A good distance away to their north were Harribel and Bazz B and a bit further to their northeast were Candice and Starrk and they were the ones closest to their enemies. Starrk was already in his resurreccion for an obvious reason, this was too dangerous for Lilynette. All of them were about thirty miles away from the fortress

The sinners were still blindly charging towards the fortress. Ever since Barragan decided to ignore the forest, they picked up the pace, so much so that they trekked nearly twenty miles in roughly ten minutes. With their army however, this was nothing since they were tireless. Barragan's underlings though, were getting a bit annoyed at how the fortress was already in their vision, it was already very large and somehow they feel like they are not getting any close. After five minutes of further trekking, many of the gargoyles were suddenly shot out of the sky by bolts of lightning

"We're under attack!" Abirama yelled and their charge came to an abrupt halt as they suddenly broke off to the sides. However, this was a futile effort as the lightning bolts weren't aimed at the ground forces but only the gargoyles

"Where are they?" Findorr yelled

"I don't see anything." Charlotte yelled out in a desperate attempt to find their attackers as more and more of the gargoyles dropped

"Enough whining. Continue the charge and have the gargoyles go ahead to scout their locations." Barragan ordered, not caring one bit about being attacked

"Yes, your majesty!" all his fracciones yelled out and resumed the charge. The gargoyles flew to higher elevations to get a better visual but it was futile. Their attackers have hidden themselves so well that it was very difficult pinpoint their locations

"Are you ever gonna begin firing?" Candice grumbled as Starrk was just looking forward

"In a few moments I will. Just focus on the flyers. Since ceros cause explosions upon contact, I'll target their ground army." Starrk said reassuringly which merely caused said girl to snort

"Yeah yeah whatever. So how far away are they?" Candice asked

"Not sure. On a wild guess I'd say about three miles from contact." Starrk said before he got on his own comms and asked Rudbornn. After a few minutes, he got a definite answer. "It seems they're about two and a half miles away." he said and when he did, the sinner ground forces finally came into visual range. "Here they come." Starrk said before firing a few ceros

"I can see that." Candice grumbled as she was still shooting down gargoyles

When the ceros finally made contact with the sinners, it actually hit some of the fracciones while Barragan himself got hit with a few of them

"Lord Barragan!" Poww said as his master was hit

"I'm fine. We know where they are. Attack them!" Barragan ordered out. This turned out to be a bad idea as their ground forces began suffering many casualties due to the cero explosion. After many of the ones in the forward position were killed, only then did Barragan decide on a reasonable course of action. He was sure that this was Starrk's doing as he was the only one Barragan knew that had blue ceros although he was impressed at how strong it was. "Split up. We'll suffer major casualties if we blindly charge."

"You heard him. Break off." Abirama yelled and the army soon broke off into different directions. Even the former espadas listened to Barragan's orders as they too were aware of the amount of power the first espada's cero possesses

"Be warned. They are about six hundred meters from making direct contact with you." Rudbornn said as he observed the monitor

"Alright. We'll retreat now. What about the ones in the forest?" Starrk said as he was still shooting the army who just split up. Surprisingly, they were still not spotted but then again, they were well hidden in a trench they dug up

"They are on their way now. Just keep their attention on you so they will have a clear shot." Rudbornn answered

"Alright then." Starrk said and tapped Candice on her shoulders, who simply looked at him in confusion. "Let's go. We'll get caught if we stay here." he said. Candice nodded at this before firing two very large lightning bolts, both aimed at the ground targets while Starrk fired a machine gun cero from both his pistols aimed at two different directions. This gave the duo enough time to further distract their opponents that they slipped by unnoticed even by the gargoyles

"Watch out!" Yammy yelled as a large barrage of ceros was heading their way. With the exception of the dullahans, they all got down from their horses or they were gonna get hit and none of them wanted to get hit. Even though the arrancars among the sinners dodged most of the ceros, a few did manage to hit them and caused some slight burns while nearly ten dozen of both the ghouls and dullahans were killed. Then suddenly, it stopped

"What happened?" Yammy asked curiously. While they did take heavy casualties, it was surprising that their assailants didn't bother to inflict further ones

"There were probably a few of them and the ones who attacked now were just meant to slowly pick us off. I suggest we move forward with caution." Zommari said while looking at Barragan, who was merely frowning at this

"I don't care one bit. If we encounter them again, counter attack with your own ceros." Barragan ordered before using sonido to continue the charge. At this point, it was clear he was obssessed with reclaiming his former castle while at the same time, completely overconfident in his own abilities

"What now?" Lilynette asked while in pistol form as they rendezvoused with Harribel and Bazz B

"Now, we do the same thing. Once we are forced back and regroup with Ulquiorra and Nelliel, the real battle starts." Harribel said before eyeing the direction her two comrades came from. "Here they come." she said before she inflicted a small wound on her palm and charged a gran rey cero

The sinners, despite suffering numerous casualties on both their ground and air troops, still continued the charge. It was the only thing they could really do as their enemies were so well hidden and if they stopped then they would only suffer more. Barragan didn't particularly care about this as he knew they still had at least three thousand troops left and that was only the bare minimum. When they saw a gran rey cero heading their way, the former espadas immediately got down as they most certainly did not want to get hit by it. This caused the cero to hit those behind them and instantly slaughter even more dullahans and ghouls. This also made the army stop as many of them flew into the sky from the impact. Even the gargoyles stopped advancing and merely flew around

"I can't believe they're still charging recklessly even after many of them got killed." Bazz B commented as he began firing burner finger ones at the sinners

"To be fair, what else can the do?" Starrk said as he too began firing

"That's true. There is absolutely no cover here in the desert. This area is even the plains part so there aren't even some random elevations that they can use for cover." Candice responded before shooting even more gargoyles out of the sky

"None of you are talking about how they have some flying troops." Harribel said in a scolding tone as she charged another gran rey cero

"Give us a break. It's not like they found us. Besides, considering the distance, if those flying things actually saw us, then they would have attacked us by now." Starrk pointed out

When the second gran rey cero came flying in, Barragan tried to slice it up with his battle axe but failed as he merely caused it to split into two and it still caused some casualties. Now this really annoyed him. "Fire your ceros!" he orderd to his fellow sinner arrancars

His fracciones immediately obeyed the order and fired their ceros at the direction the lightning bolts were coming from as it kept hitting more and more gargoyles

"Seems like they know how to counter attack." Bazz B commented as he saw multiple ceros from their enemy heading their way. He wasn't really bothered by this and simply unleashed multiple burner finger ones to intercept the ceros, causing them to explode before they could make contact with them

"Nice one Bazz B." Starrk said and he fired his own gran rey cero from his pistol. In this state, he didn't really need to draw some blood before he can fire one

The sinners saw another gran rey cero coming and they tried to avoid it. This time, some ghouls and dullahans did manage to dodge it but many were still killed. Not only that, many more were burned by the flames that now joined the lightning and ceros. It finally dawned on Barragan that if he didn't do anything, majority, if not all of his soldiers were gonna get killed. It was clear that the arrancars have prepared for their invasion and in his blind obssession of being the king of hueco mundo again, he never even considered this possibility. Then suddenly, it all stopped, all the ceros, flames and lightning that were being fired right at them

The reason it stopped was because the sinners were getting dangerously close to their attackers that they had to retreat, again. Starrk and the others regrouped with Ulquiorra after repeating the same thing they used to escape unnoticed

"So, they're finally here." Ulquiorra said as he saw the sinners getting closer and closer

"Yes. What is the status of the army?" Harribel asked

"They should be here in a few minutes." Ulquiorra responded. "Rudbornn, where are the fracciones?" he asked through his comms

"They are on their way. In about two minutes, they will make visual contact with the sinners." Rudbornn answered. "I'm sending more exequias to your location now."

"Don't. Have them all take up defensive positions instead." Harribel said

"As you wish then." Rudbornn said as he continued to organize the hollows that remained in the fortress

"So what's the plan?" Tsukishima asked

"Giselle, your powers is to create zombies right?" Nel asked curiously

"Yes, why?" Giselle answered with her usual goofy face

"When the fighting starts, take Ginjo and Tsukishima and go around them. The areas where they have been slowed down shouldn't be more than two miles away. If their corpses still remain, turn them all into zombies." Ulquiorra said simply

"Sure thing. Let's go boys." Giselle said and quickly left. The others sweatdropped a bit at how excited she was to make zombies but nonetheless followed

"This is Sung Sun, we just got a visual on the sinners." she said through the comms while the espadas were busy making some last minute change of plans

"Get their attention. Have the gillians fire at them." Harribel ordered

"Yes, master Harribel." Sung Sun replied and hung up. "Gillians, fire." she ordered

The gillians obeyed the order and charged their ceros while on the move. It didn't take long for them to fire and hit the sinner army

The sinners immediately noticed where their attackers was due to the size of the gillians

"There they are." Yammy said as he counted with his own cero, which was blocked by the combined ceros of the tres bestias

"Engage them." Barragan ordered as he knew he couldn't afford to ignore the large army of hollows and menos coming right at them

The sinners, who once more stopped after they got hit, immediately changed directions to engage the hollows

"Well, that got their attention." Pesche commented

"We got their attention, master Harribel. What do we do now?" Sung Sun asked through the comms

"Keep them occupied. We will hit them from behind but try to avoid engaging any of the former espadas. Leave them to us." Harribel ordered and got a confirmative response from her subordinate

"So, what do we do?" Starrk asked curiously

"The four of us target the former espadas. Will you two be alright targetting their troops?" Harribel asked the quincies

"As long as we get this over with, we're fine with anything." Bazz B said nonchalantly

"That's not gonna be easy, especially since Barragan seems obssessed with retaking his former castle." Starrk commented and they all left to flank their distracted enemies

It didn't take long before both armies got into each others throats. The ghouls hacked and slashed the hollows while at the same time, the hollows also tried to devour their opponents with varying degrees of success. The dullahans got down from their horses and began cutting down hollows. They were soon engaged by the gillians who tried to crush them underfoot. Many gillians missed the dullahans but hit a number of ghouls. The sinner arrancars also joined in on the fight but were quickly engaged by the fracciones of Harribel and Nel. It even became an even fight due to how Poww decided not to interfere in any of his comrades' fights and focused on the gillians. When he noticed that there were adjuchas class menos in the fight and began slaughtering both ghouls and dullahanas, he decided to prioritize them instead. However, what caused the las noches army much trouble were the gargoyles, who were spitting some sort of substance from their multiple heads. The substance somehow causes the desert to become poisonous and many hollows died to the poisoned ground

Luckily, many of the gargoyles were shot down as Candice and the other espadas arrived and began slaughtering their ground forces. Candice focused on shooting down gargoyles while the others covered her from the ground forces. It also became to look worse for the sinners as a zombie army of their fallen comrades from earlier were also heading their way. Even their fallen gargoyles were turned into zombies and began attacking the ghouls

This pissed off Barragan as he wanted to finish this quickly and now, it seems that won't be possible. "Yammy, Zommari, Aaraniero, engage the espadas." he barked out and said people moved out. "You guys focus on the low lifes." he ordered to his fracciones despite them already engaging them. The former espadas then broke off to duel their former colleagues

At the same time, every single one of Barragan's fracciones thought that this was gonna be an easy fight. They couldn't have been more wrong. Even in just raw skill with a sword, even the tres bestias were able to give them a run for their money and that was them fighting one on one and those three not working as a team. This did surprise them a bit as those particular three always fight together, when all of the fracciones were still on the same side at least

Abirama was the one who ended up fighting Pesche. He was impressed at Pesche's skills as he was parrying the self proclaimed strongest of Barragan's fraccion blow for blow

"Impressive. No one has ever managed to parry every single one of my attacks like this." Abirama complimented in a condescending tone. He was so confident that he would win this

"You really are Barragan's fraccion." Pesche said as he kicked him away

"What's that supposed to mean?" Abirama asked in an offended tone

"Like him, you're just so arrogant." Pesche answered and this pissed off Abirama, who quickly attempted to cut him down

Naturally, this failed as it was a reckless attempt but Abirama did manage to force Pesche on the defensive. "What's wrong? I thought you'd be better than this." he taunted

"I could but unlike you, I don't fight alone." Pesche responded. This confused Abirama but he soon got his answer as he was whacked on the head by a spiked club by Dondochakka. The surprise move did leave Dondochakka open to attack from Charlotte but it didn't matter as Pesche covered him by firing a cero, hitting the arrogant former espada's fraccion, forcing him back. "Nice timing." Pesche said with a smirk that cannot be seen

"Hehe thanks. Now, let's do this." Dondochakka responded and they quickly switched opponents and threw them off completely

Charlotte and Abirama were now the ones on the defensive. Every time one of them got the advantage against Nel's fraccion, they would become occupied in their fights. Their opponents took advantage of this quickly and would simply switch opponents. If one of them wanted to release their resurreccion, Nel's fraccion would quickly attack them to force them to defend themselves, or get injured or potentially killed if they ignored them and would force the release

The tres bestias were faring about the same. Mila Rose went up against Nirgge, Apacci with Ggio and Sung Sun against Findorr. All three of the tres bestias, along with Nel's fraccion, had one goal in mind, and that was to prevent their opponents from ever releasing their resurreccion by working as a team. While they were still in their own groups, they have already trained that if an opportunity presents itself, they would target whoever left himself open to attack. They trained in this way as to avoid dragging on a battle unnecessarily. While at first they didn't like this idea too much, they eventually adapted to it as they most definitely did not want to get hurt

This mindset and battle style worked to their advantage as unlike them, Barragan's fracciones were all used to the classic style of fighting only one opponent at a time. All of them would be completely thrown off due to how quick their opponents would change targets. They couldn't even use the ghouls or dullahans for help due to the fact that their opponents would cover their comrade's backs while fighing. If one them tries to release their swords, someone would blindside them either by abandoning his or her fight and inflicting some injuries or by firing a cero

Findorr was the first victim to be killed by their strategy as he was the most arrogant one among all of them. Despite him already cracking most of his mask, he was most definitely not an equal to his former comrades due to their training. In fact, even they trained really hard to prepare for the quincy invasion even tho they were caught off guard and were out of the fight for most of it. However, this time, their training really paid off because if things keep going they way they are now, they won't even need their resurreccions to deal with Barragan's fracciones, minus Poww who for whatever reason decided not to join in

The battles of them constantly switching opponents went on for quite a while. Barragan's subordinates managed to figure this out and were on extra alert for any cheap moves. Their opponents however, have already accounted for this as their fighting style would change from just getting their attention to actually trying to kill them. A bit later into the battles, all of Barragan's fraccion were already heavily injured. Nirgge was the only exception as unlike his cohorts, he was the one who isn't hot headed, to an extent anyway, along with Poww. His cohorts on the other hand, were mostly hot headed or arrogant, or both and they paid the price. Their hands were nearly sliced off multiples in an attempt to release their resurreccions

Nel and Harribel's fracciones on the other hand, didn't suffer much injuries to to how they fought and regrouped as their opponents decided to retreat for obvious reasons. The battles weren't going well for them at all and Poww still chose not to interfere

"What's wrong Abirama? I thought you would have more of a fight than this." Apacci taunted with a smirk

"Shut the hell up you little bitch. You can't even fight on your own." Abirama answered venomously

"Yeah, what's with that fighting? That's cheating." Ggio said while panting for breath along with his fellow fracciones

"Cheating? It's a life or death situation. How is trying to survive cheating?" Sung Sun pointed out while hiding her face

"She's right you know. If you morons actually wanted to win, then you should have adapted. Instead you're fighting like old men." Mila Rose said scoldingly

"Did you just agree with me?" Sung Sun asked confused

"Since when do you agree with her?" Apacci said in a confused tone

"Shut up you two!" Mila Rose retorted and she began bickering with Apacci again

Barragan's fracciones took advantage of this opportunity and tried to release their resurreccions in an attempt to heal their injuries and continue the fight. This plan didn't work as Bawabawa suddenly appeared behind them and knocked them down by body slamming them before hiding under the sand again

"Enough you three. Let's finish this while we can still do it." Pesche yelled and began charging a cero. Dondochakka mimicked his actions and they both fire a cero sincretico at their downed opponents. This time, the cero combined rather quickly and was soon discharged, creating a huge explosion. Harribel's fracciones noticed this as well and fired their own cero. While theirs were only individual ceros, it caused more than enough damage to finally knock Barragan's fracciones out

Their victory was short lived however as Poww, who suddenly released his resurrecion, crushed Nel's fraccion into the sand. While that was obviously not enough to kill them, it did knock them out of the fight, leaving Harribel's fraccion to fight the giant alone. He towered so high that both armies actually ran away from the giant. Only the gillians dared stand up against him and they were slowly killed so they were ordered to retreat. In this state, even the poison from the gargoyle's attacks had no effect as some even misfired and hit him due to his size

"Pesche! Dondochakka!" Sung Sun yelled as they barely managed to avoid the giant Poww's hand

"This is bad. We can't deal with him like this. Shall we do it?" Apacci asked as she observed Poww trying to get rid of the gillians and gargoyle after gargoyle being continuously shot down by Candice

Mila Rose however, didn't respond as she went over to her down comrades and checked on them. "They're still alive." she yelled but was forced to dodge when Poww tried to crush her underfoot, carrying her unconscious comrades

"Looks like we don't have a choice." Apacci said and put out her chakrams. "Thrust, Cierva!"

"Eat your fill, Leona!" Mila Rose said while adopting a battle stance

"Strangle to deat, Anaconda." Sung Sun said calmly and they all released their resurreccions

Holding their left arms, the tres bestias muttered. "Quimera Parca." and a red beam of energy from their left arms soon shot into a certain point and from it, emerged Ayon. In their training, the tres bestias discovered that they can actually summon Ayon without releasing their resurreccions however, they were never able to fully master it as they mainly concentrated on teamwork and at this moment, they weren't confident they would be able to do it in their sealed form

"Kill him Ayon!" Apacci ordered and Ayon promptly obeyed

"Wait, we should take him alive." Mila Rose yelled out but Ayon already punched giant Poww away

"Who cares? He's gonna be the only one we kill anyway. Besides, he's too freaking huge to knock out." Apacci argued

"She has a point. While Ayon is busy fighting, I think we should ensure that Barragan's other fracciones can't do anything." Sung Sun said before another bickering can take place. So instead, all three of them got the swords of Barragan's fracciones and called one of the exequias. They then radioed Rudbornn and the exequias soldier then promptly brought the swords to las noches to be kept away

At the same time, Poww stood next to zero chance against Ayon. Unlike the chimera beast, he was slow and Ayon quickly took advantage of that. Even getting up after he was punched away, he took a very long time. When he managed to counter Ayon, he knocked down the beast who quickly got up and slapped him away, sending him flying. This time, Ayon didn't even bother to give Poww a chance as despite it being slightly smaller than the giant arrancar, it was more than strong enough to fight him on even grounds. Poww quickly regretted not joining his cohorts as due to how slow he is, Ayon easily dodged his attacks until eventually, Poww was missing most of his left torso after Ayon hit it really hard. As he grunted in pain, Ayon kicked him back, sending him skidding. In a desperate attempt to win this fight, he tried to fire a cero despite part of his torso missing. Ayon countered this with his own cero and created a massive explosion. Luckily for both armies, Ayon knocked the giant arrancar quite a distance away so no one else was caught up in their little fight. When the explosion took place, Ayon quickly fired another cero, hitting Poww right on the head and completely destroyed it. Poww then fell to the ground, lifeless with part of his torso as well as his head now missing

**-World of the Living-**

Just as Ayon began engaging Poww, Ichigo was still at the quincies' castle, trying to find more clues. While he highly doubted he would find anything else, he decided to check it since he has already covered most of the castle by now through his creatures. While he was just taking a break and had his creatures do the deed, he was suddenly contacted by Aizen. "What is it Aizen?" he said through the comms he was given. Aizen then explained something to him and he frowned. "Alright I understand." he said before hanging up. Ichigo then left the castle and headed somewhere

At the same time in the continent furthest away from the enriched spirit zone, the earthquakes were slowly getting stronger. It was weird that no one was able to report about this and the citizens there panicked. What they did not know was that all of their communications outlet were somehow destroyed by the quake. If someone was to observe this from afar, it would be clear that this earthquake was not natural and that someone was deliberately causing this. Since communications were targeted first, it was safe to conclude that this quake was not meant to let any spiritual being know about it

* * *

**This one took quite a while. I've been busy with other stuff. I decided not to drag on the fight between all the fracciones since most of their abilities were already show and it would be so tedious to write them all. The fracciones vs fracciones fights are just similar to the ones in the reigai arc where they pretend to fight one on one but switch targets when one leaves himself open. I was also a bit harsh on Barragan's fracciones because they all annoyed me, except for the one obsessed with long names. It should have been noticed by now that the arrogant ones are gonna have a very hard time in a fight especially if their opponents are equal to them. Also, about the part where they prevented their opponents from using their powers, in the canon that always confused me. When releasing a bankai or resurreccion, the user leaves him or herself open to attack and it always bugged my why no one took advantage of that so I decided to write the recent fights where the opponent would take advantage of that moment of vulnerability. That's about it for now I guess. This chapter obviously isn't one of the best ones that I've written but whatever**


	55. Chapter 54

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty Four - Old Friends**

**-World of the Living-**

Ichigo just exited the quincies' castle. At this point, he had no idea what time it was, not that it really mattered one way or the other but on a wild guess, it was just before sunrise. It did surprise Ichigo that he spent a full day in the castle and while he did take a break, he still needed some actual rest but no time for that now. He decided to test to see if what was written on the journal is actually true so he prepared to head to hueco mundo. Before Ichigo could open a garganta, he suddenly felt an arrancar spiritual pressure near him. Considering that it was so sudden, Ichigo immediately knew this was a sinner. It didn't take long before a pink cero was headed his way. This didn't bother him that much as he simply used his arm to block it completely

"Another arrancar. Just great. Can't you guys stay in hell?" Ichigo grumbled. He was really in no mood for this crap now

"Come now, Ichigo Kurosaki. Is that anyway to greet a friend?" the arrancar answered and got Ichigo's attention

"Am I supposed to know who you are?" Ichigo asked in an annoyed tone

This annoyed the arrancar as well as considering Ichigo's ties with las noches, he should have been told about him. "How rude of you. My name is Luppi Antenor. I'm the former sixth espada."

"I thought that post belonged to Grimmjow." Ichigo asked, now confused than annoyed

"It did, until Kaname Tosen cut off his arm at least." Luppi answered with a smirk

"I see. Although it is a surprise." Ichigo responded and confused the sinner arrancar before him. "I never thought someone who's spiritual pressure does not even come close to Grimmjow's could even become an espada."

Now this immediately pissed off Luppi. "Shut up Ichigo Kurosaki! I'll show you that I'm more powerful than Grimmjow!." he yelled before he quickly released his resurreccion. Luppi did get confused at why Ichigo was just standing there but he really didn't bother to care at the moment. He immediately tried to strike Ichigo with all eight of his tentacles, each of them having spikes at the end

Ichigo didn't even bother to dodge as he just grabbed his bow rather quickly before shooting eight arrows, one for each tentacle, completely destroying each one. This caused Luppi's eyes to widen in shock for two reasons. One, how in the world was Ichigo able to do that and two, since when do soul reapers use a bow. He never got to ponder this for too long as Ichigo shot another arrow aimed right at his head, forcing him to dodge. Even though Luppi managed to dodge, it was futile as Ichigo was still not in the mood, he just flashed right behind the arrancar and shoved his head into the ground and kicking right into the nearby water. Luppi got up rather quickly but another arrow was quickly shot towards him and it pinned him into a nearby tree

Even though he just incapacitated his opponent, Ichigo didn't get cocky. He knew there were still two arrancars hiding in the trees around him. It was rather amusing at how those two baited this guy real hard. It didn't take long before another cero came his way from behind. Since Luppi was pinned to the tree right in front of him, Ichigo merely sidestepped and the cero missed, hitting the pinned arrancar instead. When Luppi saw the cero, his eyes widened as he was helpless to dodge. The arrow shot at him still has not dissipated somehow and it was strong enough to keep him pinned, forcing him to take the cero head on. Even though it was not that powerful, it was enough to knock him unconscious

Ichigo turned and looked at the direction the cero came from. He saw a face that really pissed him off. "You again, Nnoitra Gilga."

"Hah! You miss me soul reaper?" Nnoitra taunted as he slowly approached

Once more, Ichigo got confused as the last spiritual pressure was now baiting Nnoitra instead. "Miss you? Never. You're like one of those annoying creatures whose only purpose in existence is to piss people off." he taunted right back

"What did you say, soul reaper?!" Nnoitra yelled and immediately tried to charge at Ichigo. Before he could even take two steps, someone cut him from behind. "Grimmjow! You bastard!" Nnoitra barely managed to yell out as he was still not fully recovered from his previous encounter with the hybrid. One thing Nnoitra did not even realize is that this was karma for what he did to Grimmjow when he killed him after he was injured fighting Ichigo

Ichigo on the other hand, just observed his two enemies. It did put a small smile on his face to see Nnoitra get a taste of his own medicine. He was really pissed off that Nnoitra would just cut down an injured man like that. While he did not really appreciate Grimmjow himself, it still did not sit well with him to see him killed like that. Although he did wonder if he would do something like that now. Before, he most certainly wouldn't but now, it was a different question

"Don't bother killing him Kurosaki. He will just reform in a few days." Grimmjow said as he cut Nnoitra again, knocking him unconscious

"Grimmjow. Even you have returned." Ichigo said with narrowed eyes. "So what's the deal? I thought you would jump at the chance to fight me again?"

"I would but not now. I certainly have no desire to serve freaking Kokuto." Grimmjow said venomously

"What brings you here then?" Ichigo asked curiously

"One of Kokuto's underlings named Murakumo ordered Nnoitra to come here to tell you that if you wanna stop their assaults, you'll have to go to hell and kill them there." Grimmjow answered

"I already know." Ichigo answered. "And I take it you're not here to fight me then?"

"No. I was sent to ensure Nnoitra does what he was told. However, if you wanna kill Kokuto, you'll have to find their base of operations called the 'Deathrise Citadel'. When you enter hell, you won't find it there. You'll have to search for some tunnels that leads beneath the surface, below the lava pits. Not only that, you also have to avoid the kushanadas to find the citadel. Kokuto and his minions all reside there." Grimmjow answered

By the tone of his voice, Ichigo could tell that Grimmjow was dead serious however, he didn't trust him. It also puzzled Ichigo as to why Grimmjow didn't bother to say any more information. Was it because he wasn't given much? Who really knows. While Grimmjow was waiting for a response, he suddenly got one when Ichigo suddenly slashed him across his torso. "What the hell was that for Kurosaki?!" he asked angrily

"If you think I'm the same as before who would just befriend my enemy because he or she is not attacking or does not pose a threat at the moment, you would be gravely mistaken. However, i do appreciate this information you gave me so here's the deal Grimmjow. I'm already planning on going to hell myself. Other than Kokuto, I have business there somewhere else." Ichigo explained as he got into a semi sitting position over the downed Grimmjow, who was still seething but was now confused at the same time. "If what you really told me just now is true, I will find you and destroy your chains. That should be enough to get you out of hell." he said. While he was not sure if this was true, it seemed to be a logical conclusion since during his reading, he found that the chains are what kept the sinners in hell along with the barriers bound to Yhwach's life. The journal only mentioned that to truly kill a sinner, you first have to destroy the chains before killing the sinner. Both deeds must also be done in hell. This did leave it with a loophole as to what happens if the chains are broken but the sinner not killed. However, it still leaves the question. How do you destroy the chains

Grimmjow merely glared at Ichigo. If a glare could kill, Ichigo would be so dead by now. On one hand, he just wanted to rip apart the hybrid for blindsiding him like that but on the other hand, this was probably his chance to escape that dreaded place once and for all. "Fine. Just send me back there." he ordered

"I was already planning to." Ichigo responded and got up. As he was getting up, his blades suddenly changed their forms, indicating that he silently released his shikai. He then swung it above Grimmjow and a black chain appeared, binding him. Ichigo then killed Grimmjow in a painless way. There was no need to be ruthless on a potential ally. After that, he struck the ground with one of his blades, causing black chains to wrap around the two unconscious sinners. He then went to Nnoitra and Luppi and grabbed the chain he bound them with and dragged them together. Now that nothing was finally bothering him, he could finally go to hueco mundo, at least that was until a voice called out

"That was rather cold." the voice said. Ichigo turned around and saw Aizen approaching

"Aizen." Ichigo greeted. "What are you doing here? I thought you would still be searching for an entrance to hell?"

"I was, until I felt these three come along. So I tracked down their location and finally located one." Aizen answered

"I see. Well, that's gonna have to come later. I still wanna extract some information from the sinners and since they're in hueco mundo, I might as well see if this journal is legit or not." Ichigo said

It was also at this moment that Aizen noticed something. "You're not planning on telling your family about this are you?"

Ichigo did not bother to answer at this and merely looked at the ground with a sad expression. Aizen just saw right through him

"Why?" Aizen simply asked. Again, Ichigo did not respond and actually looked away. "I see. You're afraid aren't you? Since you're last meeting with you're father didn't go so well with you threatening everyone present, including him, you're afraid to even look at him. Not only that, you're also afraid that when you were in that state, you might have destroyed your relationship with your father."

Ichigo merely sighed at this as he knew Aizen was right. He even kept this information from his inner spirits. Ever since he calmed down after his fight with Yhwach, he began to regret what he said but what he did to the soul reapers, not so much

"Don't lose faith in your father Ichigo. I am well aware that you were slowly losing any trust you had in the soul society when they abandoned you to attack las noches after Orihime Inoue was kidnapped. However, your father, even Kisuke Urahara, are a different story. Even when they were still captains, they were one of the few who would actually dare stand against what their superiors would order. While I understand you're afraid to confront them, you will never know what will happen until you do. Not only that, even you must realize that you can't run from this forever." Aizen said. It was actually the first time he ever gave someone some genuine advice

"You're right. I just... I don't think I'm ready for that yet." Ichigo said sadly

"Well, you better ready yourself yet. Otherwise, if you die during this war without making peace with them..." Aizen said but was cut off

"I know." Ichigo said cutting him off. "But I have bigger things to worry about now." he said before opening a garganta and dragging the unconscious arrancars with him

Aizen merely stared at where Ichigo once stood as the garganta closed. The kid was conflicted. It finally became clear that when Zangetsu trained him, the hollow completely disregarded the fact that Ichigo is still a human, and that humans usually would get clouded by their emotions. While they did succeed in turning Ichigo into an actual warrior, the fact still remains that he was raised as a human and spent most of his life as one. Now, Aizen actually felt bad for Ichigo

**"I guess what AIzen said was true huh?"** White asked as Ichigo was walking in the garganta. **"Color me impressed. I never would have thought that you would learn how to hide something like that anytime soon."**

'Shut up.'

**-Hueco Mundo-**

The battles between the two armies were still raging. Fortunately for both sides, the espadas, both current and former, have taken their battles a good distance away. This left the armies to simply hack and slash each other. The hollow army have now been joined by Giselle's zombies and even though they were at a disadvantage because of the gargoyles, the battle slowly turned into the hollow's favor due to the combined efforts of the quincies and fullbringers as well as the lack of notable warriors on the sinner's side. The dullahans though did give them quite a bit of trouble as Ginjo, Tsukishima and Bazz B got injured although nothing fatal. Candice and Giselle also suffered some wounds but were significantly less than the boys due to the zombies

Just when the fracciones fights began, each of the espadas took on one another. The espadas lured their sinner counterparts into a distance away from the main battle as to avoid unnecessarily injuring their comrades. While Barragan didn't particularly care about his underlings and comrades, the ones from las noches did. Starrk ended up fighting Barragn due to the fact that the arrogant former espada wanted to settle the score that between the two of them, which one was truly the strongest. Little did he know that that title already belonged to someone else. Nel ended up fighing Zommari, Harribel with Aaroniero and Ulquiorra with Yammy

The furthest away from the main battle were Nel and Zommari. The sinner espada had no idea who he was fighting. All he knows is that she possesses power that is comparable to Harribel's and that it was much greater than his own. Despite that, he was not willing to give up without a fight. Like a classic fight, they were just waiting for the other to make the first move and were just throwing around some random slashes at the moment

"I am Zommari Rureux. Former seventh espada." he introduced himself. This was what he did during his fight with Byakuya as he thinks introducing yourself is a courtesy in battle

Nel was confused at the sudden introduction. As she has grown to learn over the last few months, courtesy does not matter in a life or death situation. However, she just decided to play along since it really didn't matter either way. "Nelliel tu Odelschwank." she said simply and pushed him away

"Why does your name seem rather familiar? And how does an arrancar with comparable power to Tier Harribel not an espada?" Zommari asked calmly

"I was the former third espada." Nel replied simply

"Former? What happened?" Zommari asked, now curious

"Nnoitra." Nel said

"I see." Zommari said and began attacking again with Nel parrying every single one

If there was anything Nel and Harribel were aware of in this fights, it's that preventing the former espada from releasing their resurreccions is gonna be a nigh impossible task. They are not as easy to pushover as the privarons. Fortunately for Nel, she was well aware of Zommari's abilities while the sinner espada had no clue as to what Nel's powers are. His only option now was to try and force her to reveal her powers first. This won't be an easy task due to difference in power between the two. He decided to first test this with his gemelos sonido. When they were just about ready to get into a sword lock, Zommari quickly used this technique to have an afterimage be the one to take the blow while he went for the kill. This failed as Nel almost immediately caught on as to what Zommari was planning and was somehow able to keep track of his movements

Zommari was caught off guard as instead of his afterimage being targetted, the real one was targetted instead and she forced him back. Nel didn't let up as she was being ruthless in her attempts to end this battle. This was a stark contrast to her usual, easy going personality. Zommari, of course, had no idea about this as he was given no information about her nor did he bother to see who were the espadas before him. A mistake he was starting to regret now as the difference in power between them was now being shown as Nel was constantly forcing him on the defensive and was slowly inflicting wounds upon him. Zommari was quickly growing frustrated at how his battle was turning out and he desperately attempted to push Nel back, which worked, much to his surprise. However, Nel wasn't just pushed away just for the sake of it. She actually used this chance to fire a quick bala, taking advantage of the surprise Zommari showed and it hit him dead on. Nel didn't stop there as she fired a cero right at him, creating a decent sized explosion

When the smoke cleared, Zommari stood there and he really felt that attack. He suffered burns all over his body and the wounds he got were now bleeding. However, Nel gave him this chance, which wasn't surprising as attacking someone in a smoke could prove to be a mistake as even though you know where your target is, said target might be attempting a counter attack while the smoke hides him or her. Zommari quickly used this chance to release his resurreccion, which caused Nel to frown as he now looked weird. Then again, she didn't really judge since she was a centaur after all. Zommari quickly released his amor in an attempted to hit Nel. One of them managed to hit her left arm and took control of it. Nel however, was well aware of this ability and she actually let it hit her so that her opponent would let his guard down. When the amor took control of her hand, she quickly slashed it without a moment's hesitation

This act reminded Zommari of his fight with Byakuya mainly because of the willingness to cut themselves. To his surprise, Nel actually possesses the ability to regenerate at ultra high speeds. Zommari wasn't sure how it would compare to Ulquiorra's but one thing was for sure. Unless he goes for the head, which would be incredibly difficult on its own as he just realized his opponent was well aware of his powers, he was doomed to lose this battle

With Zommari surprised at her high speed regeneration, Nel used this opportunity to flash towards him and cut him right across the right side of his body, completely blinding the eyes that were on the side. She then kicked him right in the face which did knock him down. Zommari forced himself to recover from this assault and quickly grabbed a sword from inside his little cocoon lower body and used it to slash Nel in her lower body

Nel was surprised at how Zommari had a sword but didn't bother to ponder it. Given that she just suffered an injury, she knew she had to end this battle quick. While the difference in power between them was evident, getting reckless was gonna be a fatal mistake so she quickly got into sword release stance. "Praise, Gamuza." she said and spirit energy surrounded where along with smoke from the release. When it cleared, she stood there, now looking like a centaur. Zommari grew very weary now and prepared himself for anything. Nel however, merely tightened her grip on her lance before throwing it. "Lanzador Verde." she said. Her lance began to spin around and gather spirit energy and the speed it was moving was increasing. It didn't take long for it to make contact with Zommari, who was now using his el embrion technique to hide himself. This was a fatal mistake as the lance simply drilled right through it and pierced him right in his upper body before passing through to the other side. The attack forced Zommari out of his defensive technique and when he did, another cero was already on its way. Since Nel was already in her released state, the cero was much more powerful and combined with Zommari's injuries, it finally knocked out the former espada

In another area of the desert plains, Harribel and Aaroniero were busy with their own fight. Like with Nel, this was gonna be a one sided fight due to the difference in power as well as personalities of both fighters. One was a calm and would quickly end a fight while the other was sadistic and would rather toy with his opponents. Both personalities being the opposite of the other

With how strong Harribel is now due to her training ever since Ichigo first came to hueco mundo a few weeks after his battle with Aizen, it didn't take long for her to completely overpower Aaroniero. The only glimmer of hope that Aaroniero has on winning this fight was the fact that he was aware of Harribel's powers. However, this was a very tiny glimmer as Harribel too was aware of his power and considering her personality, it would be too unlikely that she would screw up. Aaroniero did have one trick up his sleeve and that was Kaien's shikai but he decided not to use that yet and just continued to fight Harribel with nothing but swordsmanship and sonido

Harribel however, knew this was gonna be a tricky fight. Since Aizen kept information on both the soul society and the arrancars, he knew about Aaroniero possessing the powers of the late Kaien Shiba. By extension, this also meant that Harribel was aware of it since she, along with the other espadas, have gone through the databank extensively. What was gonna make this tricky was the fact that both of them have water based abilities. She didn't ponder it for too long as fighting water vs water wasn't her goal. It was to destroy the glass on Aaroniero's head so she just continued her attacks with most of them being aimed at the head

Aaroniero was barely able to block the strikes and was injured in several parts of his body. He wasn't too surprised as after all, she was the third espada while he was only the ninth. Not only that, Harribel was also a vasto lorde while he was only a gillian. After several blocked strikes, he realized Harribel was aiming for his fluid tank. He used this to his advantage and muttered. "Rage through the seas and the heavens, Nejibana." and his sword soon turned into Kaien's shikai. Since he already used his one trick, he knew he would have to make it count and quickly used the corkscrew end of the trident in an attempt to deal critical damage to his opponent. Unfortunately for him, Harribel quickly caught on and dodge the strike. This did leave her open to attack for an instant which Aaroniero quickly took advantage of by firing a huge surge of water at her

The water did make contact with Harribel but it really didn't do much damage. She soon realized that the recent surge was a distraction so that Aaroniero could get in close and attempt to jab her with the trident. Without any time to dodge, Harribel decided to do a risky move, catching it with her bare hard. With her strength superior to Aaroniero's, she was able to grab the center blade of the trident and hold it in place rather easily however, it did leave her hand bleeding. This move surprised Aaroniero and left him wide open. Harribel quickly took the opening and went for the head. Left with no other choice, Aaroniero was forced to let go of his trident otherwise his water tank was gonna be destroyed. After he fell back, he soon got his answer as to why Harribel would do something like that, high speed regeneration. The wound on her hand from grabbing the trident just healed and it surprised Aaroniero even further. Using her opponent's trident, she threw it right at him in an attempt to end the fight then and there

This time, Aaroniero decided to release his resurreccion for two reasons, one was so he can avoid the trident and two, so he can regain possession of it. It worked as the trident merely crashed into his body before he grabbed hold of it again. He then unleashed another surge of water, this time much larger than the previous

Having enough of this fight, Harribel released her resurreccion as the water was racing towards her. Just when it was about to make contact, it suddenly changed direction and swirled around her instead. Now, Aaroniero knew he was screwed as not only did he fail to do any significant damage to Harribel, he also gave her more water for her own purposes. Harribel then gathered her spirit energy and added even more water to the ones already swirling around her before unleashing it all on her former comrade. With the volume of water so massive, his size also being massive and the distance between them not that great, Aaroniero was left unable to do anything as the water struck him with great pressure, completely obliterating the massive blob that was his resurreccion. The pressure also caused his fluid tank to break and he was left screaming in pure agony before dying. Harribel didn't want to kill him as she was aware he would just reform after some time but given the situation, it couldn't be helped

At the same time, Yammy and Ulquiorra were busy trying to kill each other. As expected, Ulquiorra immediately overpowered Yammy and forced him on the defensive

"Hey, come on take it easy Ulquiorra." Yammy whined as he was trying to block Ulquiorra's attacks but failed

Ulquiorra didn't bother to respond and merely continued trying to slash his former colleague. It really wasn't surprising since Ulquiorra didn't think too highly of Yammy

"Why you." Yammy grumbled before trying to kick his opponent. That move didn't matter as Ulquiorra simply sidestepped and launched his own kick, sending Yammy flying. "That's it. Now you're starting to piss me off." he said as he got up but was once more kicked away. Ulquiorra then quickly fired a cero that hit Yammy and causing an explosion. Instead of waiting for it to clear, Ulquiorra fired multiple balas. The smaller explosions from the balas eventually caused the smoke from the cero to clear and Yammy took some hits. Yammy then used this chance and fired a cero of his own but it was so weak that Ulquiorra merely blocked it with his blade. This pissed of Yammy even further as to how Ulquiorra was able to block it easily. He recklessly charged Ulquiorra and this time, he actually used his sword. Unsurprisingly, Ulquiorra easily deflected each and every one of Yammy's attacks and eventually found an opening against the former espada which he quickly took advantage of and inflicted a massive wound

This wound sent Yammy skidding back to which Ulquiorra quckly attempted to cut his head off but luckily for him, he barely managed to dodge. Ulquiorra didn't let up as he followed it up with multiple kicks and punches and even managed to nearly slice off Yammy's arm. When his arm was nearly sliced off, Yammy desperately tried to get away and pushed away Ulquiorra. The moment he did he quickly entered his resurreccion centipede form and in this form, he finally managed to land a blow and slammed his opponent into the sand. He then quickly followed it up with a cero but he was surprised as Ulquiorra quickly recovered and sliced the cero in half

"You. I can't believe that a piece of trash like you can cut my cero that simply." Yammy whined and charged another cero. This time, Ulquiorra countered it with his own cero and it created a huge explosion, completely obscuring the vision of both fighters. However, due to Yammy's physiology, his speed was greatly hampered, not that he was that fast in the first place, while Ulquiorra simply had his speed. "Where are you?! Show yourself!" Yammy demanded as he couldn't see anything thanks to the smoke. He received his answer when he suddenly felt his tail being completely sliced, causing him to yell in pain. "Damn you Ulquiorra!" he yelled and desperately attempted to turn around and punched his opponent. Like his battle with Zaraki, this merely resulted in a few of his fingers being sliced off. "Hey you cut off my fingers. That was a cheap trick Ulquiorra even for you!" he grumbled but he was soon hit by a cero to his face

"Can you shut up?" Ulquiorra finally spoke for the first time since they began fighting. When Yammy finally got himself together from the attack, Ulquiorra quickly flashed to his face and inflicted another wound. This one also caused Yammy's mask to crack from the impact of the slash and he was bleeding all over his face before he finally fell down

Just when Ulquiorra thought it was over, Yammy suddenly began to transform and got even larger. His size was now even bigger than Poww in his giant resurreccion. "I'm sure you haven't forgotten about this Ulquiorra. When I get pissed off, I get stronger. I am the strongest espada." he reminded his opponent by pointing to the zero on his shoulder and quickly raised his arm to punch him again. When he finally threw the punch, he was surprised that Ulquiorra wasn't there and was already behind him

"Imprison, Murcielago." Ulquiorra said and caused Yammy's eyes to widen as his spiritual pressure got nearly twice as strong as when he was in his sealed form. Spirit energy soon erupted in the form of rain and when it died down, Ulquiorra stood there in his resurreccion form that looked like a demon. Without uttering a single word, he flashed right in front of Yammy and inflicted a massive wound on his front body. Not giving the giant a chance to recover, Ulquiorra quickly fired a cero oscuras at the wound, causing another explosion and Yammy to yell in pain. Deciding to end this now, Ulquiorra fired another cero oscuras and this time, aimed for the head. It destroyed parts of the remnants of Yammy's mask and even caused one of his eyes to be destroyed by the explosion. All these injuries finally knocked Yammy out as he crashed into the ground, unconscious

None of these battles compared to the one between Barragan and Starrk as the old arrancar was viciously attacking his former colleague in a desperate attempt to prove that he is the strongest arrancar. Starrk however, has already surpassed him greatly due to him as well training hard for months now and he easily dodged all the attacks from Barragan's axe. Even the ranged slicing attacks from the old man's axe was obviously never gonna hit its target

"Come on old man. Take it easy." Lilynette whined much to Starrk's amusement given Barragan's temper

"Silence child. I will prove that I was the strongest espada here and now." Barragan retorted and continued swiging his axe even though he was missing every single strike, both melee and the ranged

"What's the big deal? Aizen ain't even around anymore." Lilynette pointed out, still in pistol form

"Zip it Lilynette. There's no point in trying to reason with an old man." Starrk said with a small smirk

"What did you say?!" Barragan fumed and continued to swing his axe

Starrk has had enough of dodging as he knew the battle would go nowhere if it keeps up like this. So he put away his left pistol and summoned a sword in its place and parried the axe, much to Barrragan's surprise at it did nothing to Starrk. With his right pistol, Starrk took aim right at Barragan's head and quickly fired a cero. With barely enough time to do anything, Barragan quickly withdrew and the cero missed him by a hair. Starrk was aware that in a way, Barragan was similar to Yhwach in the way, and that was the level of dominance. He took complete advantage of this as he knew Barragan was not used to this kind of battle. When Barragan barely dodged the cero, Starrk quickly flashed to his side and kicked him right on the back of the head

This sent Barragan skidding and given his nature and personality, he wasn't able to recover quickly. This gave Starrk the chance to land another kick in this time straight to his face and he was sent down to the ground. When he got up, Barragan was fuming. "Damn you. How dare you attack a god in this way?!" he yelled out

"A what now?" Starrk asked in a confused tone. This was almost too easy but he knew it was gonna get a lot more difficult if Barragan released his resurreccion

"Enough! I will silence you forever!" Barragan yelled out and held his axe vertically with the blade on the ground. "Rot. Arrogante." he muttered and began his sword release

Starrk knew that the battle was just beginning. Luckily for him, he had an ace up his sleeve, high speed regeneration. When the sword release finished, Barragan immediately sent his respira at his opponent but Starrk was too fast and managed to dodge it. Starrk could have let the aging breath hit his hand, slice it off then just regenerate it but ultimately decided against it. Barragan didn't let up and sent more aging breath at him. Starrk continued to dodge most of them until he fired a cero to block one of it. He was actually surprised that it worked but then again, pure energy like a cero does not age. This also surprised Barragan but he continued to send his aging breath at Starrk, who just dodged all of them. Realizing it was going nowhere, Starrk suddenly stopped and unleashed his machine gun cero. Barragan was then forced to use his aging powers to block them all

With his opponent distracted, Starrk used this chance to sneak up behind him. It worked as Barragan didn't pay attention as he didn't even notice that Starrk was no longer where he fired the strike from. Seizing this opportunity, Starrk quickly fired a cero from behind, inflicting some damage on him. "What?!" Barragan demanded to know and turned around. He saw that Starrk was there and already prepared to fire another cero. In desperation, Barragan quickly used his aging powers to defend himself but it was a distraction

Starrk continuously pressed his greatest advantage, which was the arrogance of his opponennt and put immense pressure on Barragan, who was now unable to attack due to how fast Starrk was moving

"ENOUGH!" Barragan yelled out and quickly unleashed an omnidirectional aging breath. This caused Starrk's eyes to widen as he did not expect that. "HAHAHA! Try and dodge this now!" he declared arrogantly as Starrk was hit in one of his hands, slowly causing it to age. Barragan's thought comeback was shortlived as Starrk quickly cut it off without hesitation, much to his shock. He soon got his answer as Starrk's hand quickly regenerated. Since his aging powers reached Starrk, Barragan left himself open as he was gloating and during his shock at Starrk's high speed regeneration. Deciding to end this fight now, Starrk quickly flashed in front of Barragan and attempted to slice his head in half. Despite his shock, Barragan barely managed to dodge but his head was cracked and his crown shattered. Not letting up, Starrk quickly fired a gran rey cero aimed right at his body, hitting its mark and creating a huge explosion. When the smoke cleared, Barragan was heavily injured. "Damn you. I am the king of hueco mundo. I will not die here." Barragan declared despite his injuries

"Sorry, but I don't plan on killing you." Starrk said before summoning a sword and throwing it at Barragan, who was hit right where the cero hit him. Barragan then fell to the ground and with his injuries, his resurreccion dropped, indicating that he was finally unconscious

Just as the battles between the espada were midway through, Ichigo arrived in las noches and he immediately went to control room as he felt Rudbornn was there. "What's the situation?" Ichigo asked as he entered the control room

Rudbornn turned around and saw Ichigo standing in the door. He wasn't really wary of who spoke as he recognized the voice. "It's pretty even. The army on both sides are having an even fight while the fracciones and espada are slowly but surely winning their fights."

"I see. That's good." Ichigo commented as he went to get a better view on the radar

"You should take part of the credit. If it wasn't for your warning months ago, we never would have bothered to train and we wouldn't even have survived the quincy invasion." Rudbornn pointed out

"It doesn't matter. I just didn't want some people I consider as allies to get slaughered." Ichigo replied

"So, what brings you here?" Rudbornn asked

"I'm sure by now you are aware that I found some information concerning the sinners." Ichigo said while looking at Rudbornn, who nodded in response. "Just a few minutes earlier, Nnoitra and Luppi came to try and kill me. I brought their bodies here. Let's see if the information I found is actually legit."

"I see. What do you need? All of us are fighting to merely incapacitate the sinners' notable warriors but the armies are trying to kill each other." Rudbornn said

"That's good. Which direction did they come from?" Ichigo asked

"To the northwest." Rudbornn answered

"Alright. I heard that Kisuke installed some kind of radar here that extends to about a hundred miles, am I right?" Ichigo asked and Rudbornn nodded in response once again. "I'll head out to that direction and drag along these two. I'll try to see what I can find."

"Shall I inform the others of your arrival?" Rudbornn asked as Ichigo turned to leave

"Don't. It might distract them and I won't head to the battles anyway. Only tell them when the battles are done." Ichigo asked and left

It didn't take long for him to arrive at where the battles were taking place. Ichigo went invisible at this and went just outside of visual range from the battles. He then released some flames and had them speed towards the direction Rudbornn said the sinners came from. It took nearly ten minutes for the flames to reach beyond radar range due to the distance. Ichigo used this chance to scout around and noticed that there was a gate with skulls on it. On the other side of the gate was another army which was just about ready to cross over. With everyone occupied, Ichigo doubted anyone would be ready to prepare for a second strike. Near the gate, he saw a man that has dark hair, light pink skin, and a large build. He wears a white kimono undergarment underneath his dark green shihakushō, a light green obi belt sash wrapped around his waist, and dark green armor on his chest that is held by red ropes. Ichigo grew curious as this individual had spiritual pressure comparable to someone like Soi Fon

Not wasting a second, Ichigo raced towards the gates in an attempt to stop this new army from crossing. He arrived there just over ten minutes and also found one of the privaron espada, Don Penim. He didn't really remember the name. Deciding to reveal himself, Ichigo fired a cero right at the gate. The mystery man and Dordoni noticed this and immediately moved away. The two of them soon realized that the cero wasn't aimed at them but rather at the army who was on the other side. The cero created a huge explosion in hell itself and completely wiped out the army with a little help from the nearby lava

"What?" Dordoni asked and was quickly knocked out of the fight when an arrow suddenly pierced him and forced him down the mountain

Ichigo, with his mask still on, quickly engaged the mystery man, who had no idea who his opponent was. The mystery man quickly drew his clubs parried Ichigo's blades

"I am Bau, member of the twelve apostles and part of the dark ones. Now, identify yourself." he introduced himself as they locked swords

'Even in hell they introduce themselves? I guess that's a tradition or something.' Ichigo thought to himself before kicking his opponent away

"I said identify yourself!" Bau yelled and charged at Ichigo, who merely blocked his club with his sword but to his surprise, the impact from the club actually caused an explosion

The explosion forced Ichigo back and left him open for a bit which Bau quickly took advantage of this and tried to throw him off the mountain. It didn't take long for Ichigo to recompose himself and threw one of his blades, knocking one of the clubs off course and distracting the sinner. Now the situation was reversed as the sinner was open and Ichigo quickly kicked him in the face and sent him skidding. Bau quickly recovered himself and parried the strike. Since Ichigo was now aware that the clubs can actually cause explosions, he was ready for it. He quickly put on the pressure with his speed and fighting style

Bau was instantly forced to defend himself from Ichigo's rapid strikes and despite him causing explosions, they did nothing. Ichigo continued his assault and didn't even give his opponent a chance to counter attack. Left with no other choice, Bau unleashed an energy burst and forced Ichigo back. Thinking he had the advantage, Bau tried to inflict some major damage on Ichigo but he ended up making a fatal mistake as Ichigo simply sliced his clubs in half and caused the eyes of Bau to widen in shock. With him wide open, Ichigo cut down Bau using his immense speed to slash him multiple times

Just when Ichigo finished off Bau, Dordoni finally made his way back up the mountain and before he could do anything, Ichigo almost instantly put away his swords and fired an arrow at his leg, causing him pain. When Dordoni tried to release his resurreccion, Ichigo merely fired another arrow and knocked his sword down the mountain before firing another one which pinned his hand into the ground. Turning his attention into the gate, Ichigo tried something. He once more grabbed his blades and slashed it down the gates, destroying the skeletons on one side and causing the space to be distorted. Since it worked, Ichigo did the same to the other side and it completely destroyed the gate. When the gate shattered though, a small distortion took its place and this informed Ichigo that this is what he should be looking for to enter hell

"No. The gate." Dordoni yelled out as he forced himself up with the arrow causing his arm to get ripped apart a bit

"Hey. It's been a while, Don Penin." Ichigo greeted as he took off his mask, surprising his once enemy

"You... Niño." Dordoni said in shock

* * *

**Finally finished this one. The battles between the espadas shouldn't the surprising considering their ranks and power levels. I didn't drag them on that long because it was gonna be a one sided slaughter either way. The same goes for Ichigo's two fights. I also decided to bring back Grimmjow and as to how hell actually works, that's also one of the things I will explain in a future chapter. On Zommari's fight, the part where he had a sword in that released state is just something I came up with so that he can have some sort of defenses. I mean, how in the world is he supposed to deal with an opponent who is fast enough to dodge his eye things and him having no dirty tricks around to use**

**Don't be surprised with Ichigo's personality change. I was already planning on adding that part and that was always my intention ever since his fight with Yhwach. Think of it as being rude to your mom and then regretting it later only this time, it is much more serious. I just never got around to adding it since I focused on other parts of the story but here it is**

**That Bau guy who Ichigo defeated at the very end is from the memories of nobody movie. Since I was already recycling some random characters, I just decided to use them because I'm on a schedule with reasons I mentioned before and coming up with names would take me forever as that is one of my weak spots. Altho I am gonna buff the dark ones quite a bit**

**That's about it for now I guess. The sinner part of hueco mundo is gonna be closing in the next chapter or in the next one so just some minor spoilers there. I think this was reasonable enough since the sinners' goal is to find a way to destroy the chains and really, what are you gonna find in a desert**


	56. Chapter 55

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty Five - Turning the Tides**

**-Hueco Mundo-**

"You... Niño." Dordoni said with wide eyes as he witnessed how powerful Ichigo is to be able to overpower a member of the twelve apostles as well as destroy the gate with brute force. Only a very few handful of individuals are capable of such a feat

Ichigo, after greeting his former enemy, went back to observing the distorted space on where the gate once was. "What is this, Don Penin?" he asked, pointing at the distortion

"It's Dordoni. I already told you, I am not a sandwich." Dordoni yelled out in annoyance

"Whatever. Just answer the question, or you're not gonna appreciate what I'm gonna do if you don't." Ichigo threatened with narrowed eyes. He was still in a bad mood from lack of rest

"Wait, are you really the same Niño?" Dordoni asked in both surprise in confusion as the Ichigo he met before would never threaten someone like that

Ichigo frowned at this as it was really getting on his nerves at how people think he will never change but he couldn't really blame anyone for it. "I'm not. Long story short, if you're my enemy..." he said as he pointed his bow at him. "... I'll kill you." he finished

Dordoni's eyes widened at this as from the tone of his voice, Ichigo was dead serious. Deep inside though, he was rather glad that Ichigo turned out like this as he thought Ichigo was being naive when he would just befriend a defeated enemy when the reality is, that's a fatal mistake as said enemy could just backstab you when you least expect it. "I see. So you really have grown since the last time we met."

"Stop changing the subject. Tell me about this distortion or I'll do something much worse than simply killing you here and now." Ichigo threatened. He wanted to give the impression that he wasn't aware that sinners can't be killed outside of hell but as he thought about it, he wondered if that was a bad idea since he didn't bother to kill that Bau guy

"It's a distortion in space, one that can be used to traverse between hell and back when properly manipulated." Dordoni answered which surprised Ichigo a bit

"I see. How do you get rid of it?" Ichigo asked. On this question, he didn't really expect an answer

Dordoni paled for a bit as given Ichigo's murderous aura, if he didn't give a proper answer, he was gonna have a miserable time. "I... I... I don't... I don't know." he stuttered out in complete fear. "All I know... All I know is that if it remains like this, only some... someone of espada level power can traverse." he finished, praying to the gods, if there are any, that Ichigo would be satisfied with this answer as he was being completely honest

Ichigo noticed this fear and for a while, he thought about trolling this guy but ultimately decided against it. "Don't worry about it. I didn't expect you to have an answer for that one." he said reassuringly, much to Dordoni's surprise. "However, you are coming with me and I will let someone else decide if you're being honest or not." he said before hitting Dordoni at the back of the neck and rendering him unconscious. He then summoned more chains and wrapped them around his captives, Bau, Dordoni, Nnoitra and Luppi before dragging them across the desert as he headed back towards where the battles were taking place. Before he left, he made sure to keep two creatures to watch the distortion. Since he wasn't sure if there were any more, he had to keep an eye on this one

When he got into range to see the battles, which took him another ten minutes, the battles were nearly done. The sinner arrancars were already defeated while the quincies and fullbringers were just mopping up the remaining ground and air forces. Deciding to end this fight, Ichigo unleashed a huge torrent of flame. Everyone was caught off guard by the sudden black flames headed their way and they didn't even have time to react. The flames engulfed every single one of the combatants but as expected, only the sinner army were affected with every single one of them turned to stone

"What the?" Apacci asked in confusion while the fullbringers and quincies took a sigh of relief. The sinners weren't really that much of a challenge but the numbers they had sure took their toll

"Hey." Ichigo greeted as he approached them, dragging along his captives

"Ichigo?" Candice asked in surprise and she started to pale a bit

"Don't worry about it Candice. I'm not upset that you came here." Ichigo said, much to her relief. "If you're here then that simply means dad agreed with it."

"Yeah. I really didn't want to but your father convince me to." Candice said as she slowly tried to regain her breath

It was also at this moment that the espada finally came back but they didn't bring the bodies of their defeated enemies

"Hey, Ichigo. So, you finally came huh?" Starrk greeted him

"What are you doing with those people?" Ulquiorra asked, like with his usual self, he doesn't bother with any small talk

"Well, this guy..." Ichigo said while pointing to Bau. "... said he was a member of the twelve apostles, which I guess is the name of a group of warriors in hell. While Nnoitra and Luppi tried to kill me earlier. And this guy..." Ichigo said as he removed his chains on Dordoni. "Get up already Don Penin!" he yelled out and caused said person to jump in surprise

"What? Who? Where?" Dordoni asked rapidly and noticed he was surrounded by his former colleagues

"Tell them everything you told me." Ichigo ordered. Dordoni promptly agreed and quickly explained what he said to Ichigo. He even included the part where Kokuto's goal was to find a way to destroy their chains, which was something he was made aware but didn't tell Ichigo since he never asked for it

"Do you believe that Ichigo?" Harribel asked curiously

"Honestly, I'm not sure. You guys decide if it's true. Considering his reaction, I think so but I want your opinions." Ichigo answered

"What about the other two?" Bazz B asked

"Two?" Ichigo asked, confused

"The other privaron espadas also tried to do the same thing but we caught them." Harribel explained

"I see. So, what do you guys wanna do with them?" Ichigo asked

"Us?" Nel asked, confused at what Ichigo meant. "I thought Aizen said you found a way to seal off the distortions." she pointed out

"I did but I still need to try it. However, I wanna get some more information out and I wanted to see if I can rip apart Nnoitra's mind to get that information." Ichigo said. The others quickly caught to what he meant and that was why the kushanadas aren't doing anything about it

"There is no need for that." Dordoni said and got everyone's attention. "If you wanna know about the kushanadas, I will tell you. Deep inside hell is a source of power. Our base of operations, which is called the 'Deathrise Citadel', is located above this source. Using it, the first sinner, Kokuto, and the twelve apostles have created an area completely hidden from the kushanadas. Furthermore, this citadel is located beneath the surface of hell. Even though the kushanadas don't know where we stay in, they can still suppress our powers if we're ever found." he explained

"What is the source of this power?" Bazz B asked curiously

"That I do not know. All I was told is that the power there was older than even Kokuto." Dordoni answered. This was one of the few times he was actually being honest. What surprised him is that everyone around seems to have a look that knows exactly what he was talking about

"It seems that even this Kokuto does not know about it." Ginjo commented

"Know about what?" Dordoni asked

"That information is need to know." Ichigo answered quickly before anyone else did. "Look, Don Penin, even though you have been honest, we have no clue if this is a trap or not." he said before looking at Ulquiorra. "So, what do you wanna do with him?"

Ulquiorra and the other espadas looked contemplative before looking at each other and nodding, deciding to ask a very important question. "How do you destroy a sinner's chains?"

Surprisingly, Dordoni didn't even hesitate to answer that question. "Using the power of someone strong enough. Initially, their plan was to trick Niño to destroy them when they observed his battle with Aizen however, after his battle with Yhwach, it became obvious that he would not take the bait." Dordoni answered and the others were not surprised one bit

"How do you know all this?" Tsukishima asked suspiciously. "More importantly, why are you so willing to give us the information?" he was at this point, aware that Ichigo threatened him but to Tsukishima, that shouldn't be enough to make someone squeal

"You want to escape hell, don't you?" Candice asked with narrowed eyes. "That's why you are giving information out for free, as Ichigo is among the few who is powerful enough to break your chains."

Dordoni merely nodded slowly at this, confirming the green haired girl's response. He just wanted what any other sinner would, escape from that dreaded place. Before anything else could be said, Ulquiorra suddenly spoke

"Rudbornn, send the other two here." Ulquiorra said to his comms

"What do you wanna do Ulquiorra?" Starrk asked curiously

"Ichigo, you said you want to test out what you have found, right?" Ulquiorra asked, looking at said person, who nodded. "Test that here and now. Based on your personality, it is safe to assume that you will enter hell and end Kokuto there. How and when you plan to do so is something I don't know but I'll leave it up to you."

"And I'm guessing if this guy told the truth, you're gonna break him out of hell?" Starrk asked knowingly

"You know me all too well." Ichigo responded with a smirk before summoning some creatures and having them gather the bodies of the sinners in one place

A few minutes later, some exequias came and brought Gantenbainne and Cirucci. When the two saw Dordoni as well as the bodies of their army, they were shocked. Not only that, Ichigo was also with the arrancars and since they couldn't sense his spiritual pressure, it became clear that his power was now far above their own unlike the last time he was in las noches where they actually had a shot at defeating him

"Dordoni, did you tell them?" Gantenbainne asked as he noticed that everyone was not doing anything to said person

"I did. This is my chance to escape hell." Dordoni said adamantly

"What about us?" Cirucci protested at how their fellow privaron abandoned them before looking at Ichigo. "What are you gonna do to us?"

"Ask him." Ichigo said, gesturing to Ulquiorra

"Get rid of them." Ulquiorra said quickly and got no objections, much to the horror of the two. To a certain extent, even Dordoni was horrified since that was just cold

"That was a quick choice." Giselle commented at how cold Ulquiorra was

"That shouldn't be much of a surprise. After all, when they were interrogated, they didn't bother to give us any decent answers. In fact, they lied to us." Candice said as she didn't particularly care about the ones in front of them

"Alright. If that's settled..." Ichigo said before knocking them both unconscious. When he was finished, he took the journal that was hanging on his outfit and opened it to a specific page. He then began to read out some sort of incantation, one that was in a different, unknown language, probably an ancient one that has been lost to the ages. He wasn't sure if he was even reading it correctly as he just followed how it was written. As he was muttering something, a large amount of spirit energy gathered at where the sinners were gathered and it also caused some slight tremors to happen before it slowly but surely got stronger

Everyone grew worried at what was happening as the quakes got stronger and stronger. It didnt take long before some markings right on the ground appeared that looked like a square but was tilted. Another square soon appeared. This one was right on the outside of the first one and slightly larger than the first. As soon as the two squares appeared, Ichigo grew curious as it seems that even though most of the sinners have been killed, their souls are still not sent back to hell and are lingering for a bit. This proved to be a good thing as it seems that the ritual was working. After a couple minutes more of conducting the ritual, the quakes soon grew ever stronger and two skulls slowly appeared along with each having a skeletal body. Both skeletons were in the shape of what they normally would be on the gates of hell, only this time, the gates didn't appear. The eyes on the skulls then glowed red and it began sucking the souls out of everyone in the squares. As soon as the skulls began sucking the souls, multiple demonic markings soon appeared on the outside of the squares. This caused everyone to take a few steps back as the wind from the ritual was now growing stronger along with the tremors

It took a few minutes before the soul from every single one inside the square was absorbed by the skulls. Once that was finished, the bodies soon followed and it took another few more minutes. Tha moment it was done, the skulls were then outlined with red energy before it it unleashed an omnidirectional explosion. Everyone, including Ichigo got down from the explosion but much to their surprise, not a single one of them was harmed. When they looked at the corpses of the dead sinners, they noticed all of it was now gone along with the markings. Wanting to know if it worked, Ichigo checked where he left his creatures and saw that the space there was no longer distorted. Not only that, since he chained up some of the sacrificial lambs, he would know where they are thanks to his powers however, he couldn't feel their presence anywhere, even in hell while he could still feel Grimmjow since he bound him earlier too

"What was that? DId that work?" Nel asked as everything now seemed back to normal. "Ichigo?" she asked again almost immediately while looking at said person

What she didn't know was at the moment, Ichigo was concentrating to see if anyone he bound with his chains was actually still alive and he only found Grimmjow. "I'm not sure. When I bind someone with my chains, I will be able to know their location regardless of where they are. However, out of every single one I bound, I can only feel Grimmjow and not the others. Also, I checked the place where I found that twelve apostle member and the space there is no longer distorted."

"So, it worked then?" Sung Sun asked curiously

"There is only one way to find out. We'll have to wait and see what happens after a few hours." Ichigo said grimly. Harribel's fracciones were a bit angry at this due to the possibility that Ichigo might have opened up hueco mundo to hell itself but they kept it to themselves

"Rudbornn, are there any more anomalies within the radar?" Harribel asked through the comms

"Negative. The only thing that happened was that massive increase in spiritual pressure from where you are now." Rudbornn responded. Eveyone heard this minus Ichigo, as he was the only one who's comms is not linked to las noches, narrowed their eyes at this. Did it really work? Only time will tell

"So, what now?" Bazz B asked before realizing something. "And, what about him?" he asked, gesturing to Dordoni

"Now, we head back to las noches." Harribel answered. "Let's rest up and wait to see if it worked. For Dordoni, in a few hours, send him back to hell if we have confirmed that the ritual worked. Since Ichigo is planning to go there already, he can decided there if he will break him out or not."

"We're not gonna patrol the desert to check if anything's off?" Apacci asked with uncertainty

"I'll take care of that." Ichigo offered

"I'll have Rudbornn aid you as well." Harribel said and not long after that, they all headed to las noches while Ichigo sent creatures to scatter throughout the desert. Rudbornn also did the same thing and with Ichigo in hueco mundo, they could afford to send every single exequias soldier Rudbornn made, even the ones stationed in las noches. It was also decided that Giselle would keep her zombies in las noches. Since the sinners have so many troops, they will need as many of their own as possible

**-Hell-**

As Ichigo was conducting the ritual, the same tremors also occured in hell but was more severe. The space itself was already changing colors in the form of waves and the tremor there felt like the entire realm was gonna be torn asunder. Many of the ordinary sinners who were in the surface didn't even bother to react to it as they have already lost hope that they would ever see the outside world again. The kushanadas on the other hand, merely observed this but their expression couldn't be read since their heads were just skulls after all

Just when the tremors reached its peak, it also distorted the space around the citadel for an instant but it was enough, enough for the kushanadas to learn of their location. Almost immediately, the kushanadas picked up on what the sinners were doing and some of them headed to the location of the citadel despite the fact that the space was still being bizarre thanks to the ritual

"Kokuto!" Murakumo yelled as he reached one of the rooms in the citadel

"What is it? And what's going on?" Kokuto asked as he was observing the strange phenomenon and trying to keep his balance through the tremor

"It's Ichigo Kurosaki. He's sealing off the distortions that lead to hueco mundo." Murakumo said and Kokuto's eyes widened at this. He didn't even know it was possible. "That's not all. The kushanadas are coming. Whatever Kurosaki is doing, it's distorting the space and somehow, the kushanadas found out about this place."

"Quick, let's head into the citadel's underground. Maybe we can evade the kushanada's there." Kokuto said and quickly tried to move downstairs, all the while trying to maintain his balance along with Murakumo. "What about Shuren? Have you told them not to come back here until their job was done?"

"I did and all the other apostles along with the bounts have already left for the soul society, with the exception of Bau who wanted to oversee the invasion of hueco mundo himself." Murakumo answered

"Good. Let's keep moving before those blasted kushanadas get here." Kokuto said as the tremors just ended as Ichigo finished the ritual. Soon, they reached a series of tunnels that leads below the citadel's ground floor. Their timing couldn't have been better as the moment they entered the tunnel, the kushanadas have arrived in the space around the citadel

Almost immediately, the kushanadas began ripping apart the citadel with their massive size and the army of ghouls, dullahans and gargoyles were all brutally crushed and devoured by the kushanadas. Fortunately for Kokuto, the kushanadas did not find the tunnels leading beneath the citadel due to how the sinner army tried to fight back despite it being a hopeless battle. What Kokuto didn't know is that the real reason the kushanadas didn't bother to check for anything unusual is because Ichigo's ritual only caused the space in hell to be distorted for an instant and not even a second longer. A few minutes later, the kushanadas have destroyed most of the citadel and killed just about every single soldier they had left. Whether it was by fate or luck, the kushanadas did not bother to check if anyone from this citadel was outside of hell and as such, none of the other sinners were pulled back

Kokuto and Murakumo felt the kushanadas leave and after waiting for a bit, they emerged from the tunnel only to be greeted by a mostly destroyed citadel. Kokuto was fuming when he saw the ruins and that only a few towers and the citadel's peak only remained as every single troop they had were mostly killed with only a very few, if any remained. When looking at the ruins, he couldn't see any and when he contentrated on the spiritual pressure, there were only about fifteen dullahans still standing. "Murakumo, head to the soul society and inform the rest of what happened. Tell them to attack the world of the living immediately."

"What about you?" Murakumo asked with uncertainty. He didn't bother to question that oder as he too wanted payback at Kurosaki

"I'll stay here and wait for Ichigo Kurosaki to come." Kokuto answered sternly

"Very well then." Murakumo said and went to find any nearby distortions. He found one not that much later and saw that none of them leads to hueco mundo, indicating that they have indeed been sealed off. Not only that every single soldier they sent to hueco mundo have not even returned to hell. This can only mean that Ichigo used them to somehow seal the barriers separating hell from hueco mundo. After making some preparations, he went back to Kokuto nearly a couple hours later he went back to Kokuto to inform him of his findings. "Kokuto, I have checked the distortions as well as the lava pits."

"What did you find?" Kokuto asked. At this point, he has calmed down a bit but he was still pissed off

"We are completely sealed away from hueco mundo. What's worse is every single one of our troops sent there haven't returned, including Bau. Only Grimmjow is still there." Murakumo said

"I see. Just continue with what I instructed. If there is any change of plans, I'll find a way to contact you. More importantly, tell Shuren that he will have no backup from this point forward." Kokuto said grimly. The reason he said this as he knew that any sinner will take some time to reform and depending on their power, could take to nearly three weeks to return to full strength

At the same time at where the firstborn and horsemen were

"Look at that. He found out how to seal the distortions." the male green haired horseman commented

"Indeed. Although I must admit, I am surprised your brother would keep records on how to do something like this. It doesn't seem to fit him." the female brown haired horseman added while looking at Zhakuro

Zhakuro merely smiled at this. He wasn't even upset that someone would think that considering Yhwach's personality. "You're right. The thing is, my brother doesn't usually do these kinds of things however, when he went on his crusade to free him from what father did, he probably left a record of this knowing that someone might find it useful."

"Do you mean that Yhwach was aware that Ichigo would be able to stop him?" the blue haired horseman asked

"No. Most likely, my brother was not confident enough that he would succeed in his crusade considering the power of the soul reapers despite him being more powerful than them. As such, he was well aware of what would happen should he fall." Zhakuro explained

"I see. I never would have thought Yhwach of all people would think like that considering how he was the last time we met." the blue haired guy said

"I agree but on the other hand, pain and betrayal does cause a person's personality to change from what it once was." the last horseman, the female green haired one added. "It almost mirrors Ichigo Kurosaki's journey doesn't it?"

"Indeed it does." Zhakuro said with a smile

"So, what now? We still wait?" the male green haired horseman asked

"Yes. Ichigo's ritual has actually alerted the kushanadas to Kokuto's schemes despite most of his forces in the soul society. At this point, I do not believe Ichigo is aware of this." Zhakuro answered as the ritual finished

"I see. So in that case, he's still gonna come and deal with Kokuto. But that still raises the questions, how do you destroy the chains?" the male blue haired one asked

"Either by having sufficient power or a specific ritual not too different from the one Ichigo just conducted. However, neither Kokuto, nor his minions are aware of this." Zhakuro answered before manipulating the space around him to summon a few distortions, one that doesn't allow passage but merely vision to the other side. When he looked at one of them, he frowned, which did not go unnoticed. "Look at this." he said. The horsemen did what Zhakuro asked and they were surprised at what they saw. It was the part of the world of the living that had been suffering the tremors. A very small part of it has already disappeared into nothingness and it didn't stop although it was disappearing at an agonizingly slow rate. "It has begun."

"How much time do we have?" the female green haired horseman asked in a panic. "We can't stay here if it keeps up like this."

"She's right. We might have to find a way to head to the royal palace on our own." the brown haired female said

"At the very least, we will have eight days. On the final three days, hueco mundo will follow suit." Zhakuro answered with a frown

"So we just wait until then?" the blue haired one asked

"I think waiting would still be our best option." the male green haired one said. "Considering that every single battle does not take longer than a day, it is extremely unlikely that Ichigo would take that long. Not only that, Ichigo already has nearly everything that he needs to know should he come into this world. I suggest that once he deals with Kokuto, we offer our aid as a battle here would undoubtably alert the kushanadas." he said and after a few moments, he got no objections

"I see. If that's settled then we wait here. If not, then we might have to take the risk of Ichigo not believing us." Zhakuro said and the others nodded

**-Las Noches-**

Nearly six hours later, everyone was still hanging around in the fortress while still on high alert. Surprisingly, neither Ichigo nor the exequias have found anything out of the ordinary. Rudbornn even directed Ichigo to where Cirucci and Gantenbainne were found and when Ichigo's creatures checked the area, the distorted space that Harribel and Nel said were nowhere to found

At the moment, Ichigo was on the roof of the fortress, looking out into the desert. Nearly everyone saw that even though Ichigo was rather calm earlier, they could see that he was tired and needed to rest. He obviously skipped it just like he did during the war against Yhwach. As he was thinking about just what exactly he might find, he felt Nel approach him

"Hey Ichigo." Nel greeted. Surprisingly, she didn't bother to hug Ichigo like she normally would

"Hey Nel. So, what's up? You find anything?" Ichigo asked

"Not really. I actually think that ritual you did worked. It's been quiet ever since then." Nel answered

"That's good to know." Ichigo said with a sigh

"So, you are planning to go to hell right? And end this Kokuto then and there?" Nel asked

"Yeah. Putting away skeletons in the closet is never gonna work. It will just haunt you until you actually throw it out." Ichigo said with a frown as he looked back into the desert again

"You're right." Nel answered before adopting a thoughtful expression

"What are you thinking about?" Ichigo asked curiously

"Maybe this war actually has a good thing about it." Nel answered

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked, now confused

"Think about it. Quincies, hollows, soul reapers and even the fullbringers. We have all considered each other as an enemy up until the point where you killed Yhwach. Perhaps after this war, there will finally be peace for all of us." Nel answered with a hopeful tone

"Maybe you're right. Honestly, I don't really know considering what I did to the soul society and after what Dordoni said earlier, they have taken control of the seireitei and kept the soul reapers prisoners." Ichigo answered with a defeated tone. Nel immediately caught on as to why as it seems he was dead serious when he said he didn't expect to survive this conflict

"I see. When you said you didn't expect to survive, you we're serious, weren't you?" Nel asked as Ichigo looked at her and nodded. "I don't think that's the truth on why you're doing it like this. You just don't want to face your family when their once caring brother and son now goes against everything he once believed in."

"Like I said, you know me all too well." Ichigo answered with a sly smirk, knowing he had just been busted

"Why are you afraid?" Nel asked

"Why wouldn't I? Who wouldn't be afraid of a monster like me who just kills anyone who I think is an enemy?" Ichigo argued back

"That's not being a monster, Ichigo. That's just being a warrior. Sometimes, you make decisions that you don't like, but have no other choice because it's for the greater good. You killed Yhwach for a reason, to save us all. Do you really think anyone else would do anything less to him? And now, you're trying to fight for all of our survival. That's not what a monster would do." Nel pointed out. She did have a very good point. "Besides, Ichigo, when you go through betrayal, a person will always change. I know that myself after what Nnoitra did. Yes, he was annoying but he was still someone I considered a comrade."

Ichigo was rather surprised at this as he never thought that Nel considered someone like Nnoitra a comrade

"Don't be afraid Ichigo. As all of us have forgotten one simple fact in all this." Nel said as Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "You're still very young, much younger than all of us yet you're already burdened with the task of saving us all. If anything, your father actually thinks that he failed as a parent. The same goes for the others, Kisuke, Yoruichi, Tessai and even Kukaku. Don't waste this chance Ichigo. You were the one that told us to make peace with our past. I think it's time you did the same as well." she said and made Ichigo frown. This near exact advice coming from Aizen wasn't really convincing especially given Aizen's personality. But from Nel, it actually seemed to be the right thing to do, well not right but what he should do. Not only that, three people have now said this exact same thing to him. Aizen, Nel and old man Zangetsu after they arrived in las noches although on the last one, it did confuse his inner hollow as to why, which wasn't surprising at all

"Thank you, Nel." Ichigo said gratefully. To his surprise, Nel actually hugged him and unlike the previous times, it was just an ordinary hug and not a bear hug

"Anytime Ichigo. Remember, you're not alone. We're with you to the end, all of us. Your father, Kisuke, us, Bambietta, Candice and the others." Nel said with a smile and headed back downstairs, leaving Ichigo with a contemplative look

"**So, did you enjoy that hug?"** White sneered in his mind

'Shut up.'

**"Don't even think about being upset at me Ichigo. You should have learned by now, other than survival instincts, I don't understand the big fuss about emotions. That's way above my paygrade."**

'I know and I'm not blaming you or anything.'

**"Well, you better hold that statement true."**

**-Soul Society-**

By this point, Rukia and Renji have already located Byakuya and the other captains. They told him about the situation of the seireitei and they have tried to scout but found the gates closed since the duo made their escape. However, while the sinners invaded hueco mundo, Shuren had his minions turn the seireitei into a second citadel. With the tireless ghouls at his disposal, it was finished even before the battles in hueco mundo were done. Now, it mirrored the Deathrise Citadel's appearance with large towers built around sokyoku hill. This really surprised the soul reapers, both prisoners and non prisoners due to how quickly the built this thing

Ever since Byakuya and the others were told of the situation, all they did was pick off any stragglers or any group sent to find them. With them being the hunters instead of the hunted, they were able to kill any seek and destroy groups sent to find and kill them

At the moment, it was still mid day and they were just hiding on the outskirts of the rukongai district

"So, are we just gonna keep up like this?" Renji asked

"We have no choice, Renji. We are completely locked out of the seireitei." Toshiro reminded him

"Yeah, but still. How long are we just gonna hit and run their search parties?" Renji asked. He was really irritated at the rate they were going

"Calm yourself, Renji. As captain Hitsugaya said, we don't have a choice. If we do anything reckless, we would be killed. We have to make our move count otherwise, it would be for nothing." Byakuya said

"I guess we'll just have to wait for Ichigo then." Rukia muttered to himself

"You really think he'll come, Rukia?" Renji asked curiously

"I think so. I mean, considering the power and knowledge he had when he was last here, I find it extremely unlikely that he wouldn't know about the sinners." Rukia answered

"That still begs the question. Would Ichigo even help us or would he kill us if we meet him again?" Byakuya pointed out

"We'll just have to wait and see. There is no point worrying about that now. We have to plan our next move. At least by taking out these stragglers, we are slowly thinning out their ranks." Toshiro added. None of them at this point have tried to open a senkaimon since the zanpakuto only opens one from the world of the living. Not only that, Ichigo's allies would probably kill them if they set foot in karakura town

Zaraki on the other hand, didn't really care one bit about the discussion and merely kept his silence. He was torn on this one as on one hand, he wanted to have a good fight and the sinners seemed to be decent opponents but on the other one, he didn't want to die, which is what is gonna happen if he just recklessly charged into the seireitei

At the same time, Murakumo finally made his way to the soul society via the one way gate Szayelaparro proposed and managed to create. When he arrived, he was impressed. The seireitei now reminded him of the the citadel which was now in ruins. Wasting no moment, he went to where Shuren was. He found said person just barking some orders and making the finishing touches on this forward base, or forward citadel rather

"Shuren." Murakumo called out as he approached said person

"Murakumo? What are you doing here? I thought you would be overseeing the dispatch of our forces to hueco mundo?" Shuren asked, confused

"I did but something unexpected happened." Murakumo answered and got his attention. "Ichigo Kurosaki has somehow found a way to seal of the distortions. He killed Bau, as well as most of the arrancars permanently. They weren't even in the lava pits. This same ritual has also alerted the kushanadas to our presence and they have destroyed the citadel and slaughtered most of our forces."

Shuren's eyes widened at this for obvious reasons. This was a massive setback for them. "So, we're without backup for now." he said as he was well aware that a sinner killed would take some time to reform. "What about Kokuto?"

"He's alive. He says continue the plan of finding a way to break the chains while at the same time, he'll deal with Kurosaki himself." Murakumo answered before looking around, finally getting a good view at his comrade's work. "So, what's the situation here?"

"It's nearly finished. Szayelaparro was a great asset. We have even created not one but three senkaimons. However, problems still persist. Some of the captains and lieutenants managed to avoid capture and are killing our search parties. While it doesn't really matter, if we keep sending low ranking troops as the search parties, they will slowly thin out our ranks but at the same time, we cannot afford to let them do whatever they want." Shuren answered before pointing at the gates. "We are safe though as I don't think they possess any method to open the gates."

"How soon can we attack the world of the living?" Murakumo asked

"Already? In about a few hours I guess. Maybe six or seven." Shuren answered but he grew confused. "I thought we were to hold our position here while he search this entire world for a way to break the chains?"

"We were but now, we cannot afford to let Ichigo's allies live. Considering his personality, he will probably come for us after he deals with Kokuto. We need to strike when he is away as that is when they will be at their weakest. That way, if Ichigo does come back from hell, we already have the advantage against him." Murakumo explained

"I see. That is a good point. But since the deathrise was destroyed, we won't have any way to know for sure if he already entered hell." Shuren pointed out

"So we'll have to make it count." Murakumo answered

"Very well then. Since all of our fellow aposltes are now here, we'll just have to decide who goes there and who stays here." Shuren answered. Murakumo noddded at this and left, wanting to see just what this new citadel of theirs is

* * *

**No. Don't even think about it. I already said that this story isn't gonna have any romance. That might change during the epilogue but for now, no. There's a bloody war going on and it would be stupid to think about romance when you're trying to survive. That was just a random hug to make someone feel better and not the romantic kind**

**Just to clear some stuff up, Dordoni and Grimmjow are alive and were sent back to hell by Ichigo. All the sinner arrancars are now dead, used as sacrifices to seal hell away from hueco mundo. As I mentioned before, I will explain just what exactly these distortions are but that might take a few chapters since at this point, you should be able to guess who I want it to come from. The ritual Ichigo did was actually inspired by warcraft where one would sacrifice the dead to open some portals but I just reversed into sealing instead of ****opening**

**That's about it I guess. ****Enjoy**


	57. Chapter 56

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty Six - Journey to the Unknown**

Evening, The Next Day

**-Soul Society-**

The sinners have been surprisingly quiet for the last few hours, which gave enough time for Ichigo's friends to rest up and prepare for the sinner assault, which they believed to be inevitable. What they didn't know is that instead of just going for the assault like they did in hueco mundo, the sinners were planning the one on the world of the living very carefully and strategically, mainly because they won't have any backup despite them having a little over twice the number of troops they sent to hueco mundo which was further reinforced by Shuren's mind controlled rukongai citizens, despite them being next to useless in an actual war. But, seeing as they were only ordinary troops while their adversaries were incredibly skilled fighters, the only thing they could hope for was to overwhelm them with great numbers. So, they began plotting their assault, which target to prioritize, which ones to avoid if at all possible, or should they even build a forward base. Their search in the soul society for a way to break their chains was futile. There was literally nothing there beyond the seireitei. The only place they would even find something remotely close to it would be the royal palace but they had no access there but at the very least, they were that close to it. Not only that, even though nothing happened yet, they became paranoid that they were on a timer, that it was only a matter of time before the kushanadas realized that a few thousand sinners are not in hell and would just drag them all back. There was also the problem of the loose captains slowly killing their troops. Even though they decided to ignore them and focused on scouting this entire realm, Zaraki and the others would still kill them. It really didn't matter that much since they wouldn't even send out more than thirty at once, it would still take its toll if it keeps on piling on like that

Against, Kokuto's wishes, Shuren actually decided to delay the assault as knowing that if Ichigo was there, he could easily assassinate every single member of the twelve apostles without so much as breaking a sweat, including Shuren himself. Not only that, some of the soul reaper prisoners were actually complaining at what Ichigo did right before he left as they thought they could have stopped them if Ichigo did not kill so many of them after his fight with Yhwach. This aroused Shuren's suspicion as to why Ichigo would do this as well as let the quincies slaughter them. Ichigo may despise the soul society but he doesn't seem to be the kind to be willing to see everything destroyed for the sake of vengeance. With this information, Shuren believed that there was more to the balance of souls than originally thought and even considered that perhaps it didn't really matter, to Ichigo anyway. If that last scenario was true, then Shuren's trump card of holding the balance hostage against Ichigo would be pointless so they need a new approach. Their only hope was that Ichigo would enter hell soon but their paranoia of being dragged back to hell was still there, meaning they couldn't wait that long. Regardless of what happens, they would have to attack otherwise their whole venture would have been for nothing seeing as they aren't getting anywhere in their soul society. Worse yet, if the kushanadas did drag them back, Ichigo could just seal them off again

While Shuren was atop their new citadel thinking about their next move. Their only success thus far was taking over the soul society while Barragan's arrogance cost them so many troops that could have been stationed here. Jin Kariya, the last member of the twelve apostles, approached him

"You called for me?" Kariya asked

Shuren turned around and saw his comrade come up. "I did. Have you tried to send scouting parties to the world of the living?"

"I did but they haven't returned. It's safe to assume that they have been killed since we are using the senkaimon after all." Kariya replied and noticed Shuren frown. "What is it?"

"We're getting nowhere. After conquering this place, we still haven't discovered any means of breaking these damn things nor a single clue about it." Shuren said as he lifted his chains, which completed itself but looked intangble. "Not only that, we are without backup and if recklessly attack the world of the living, we would get slaughtered."

"You're right and Ichigo Kurosaki could kill us all freely." Kariya said in realization and Shuren nodded. "So, does that mean our game plan is simply to wait until Ichigo enters hell?" he asked and Shuren nodded once more. "Why don't we just wait here and be on the defensive instead?"

"Because of the kushanadas. Given that they discovered the deathrise, it is only a matter of time before we're found out and this whole task would have been for nothing." Shuren replied

"I see. What about the royal palace? Since the real goal of Yhwach's war was never revealed to the soul reapers, then that would be the perfect place to check." Kariya pointed out

"That's true but we have no way to access it." Shuren reminded him and Kariya looked annoyed as he was never told that but then again, he was the one who helped Szayelaparro and the one who executed Mayuri just a few hours ago at said arrancar's instruction. After he told them about how tricky Mayuri is, they did not take a chance and immediately killed him

"You're right. So, what are we to do?" Kariya asked

"In a few hours, I want you to send around a couple hundred soldiers and especially the gargoyles to attack karakura town." Shuren ordered

"I assume the goal isn't to take over that world but to get some information then?" Kariya asked

"Indeed. Just check if Ichigo Kurosaki is still there. We absolutely cannot set foot in the world of the living if he's still there." Shuren said sternly with Kariya agreeing with it

"Should one of us apostles also go?" Kariya asked curiously

"No. We have already lost Bau, for good, and who knows how much stronger Ichigo's allies got. If one of us goes, it will have to be on the major assault and not the scouting one. Once the information has been taken, we attack immediately if he's not there." Shuren ordered

"Is there any particular reason to attack the world of the living?" Kariya asked and it was a good question. While they all knew that Kokuto wanted payback since his wishes for escape was nearly destroyed, it wasn't enough justification to waste resources on it

"From what we saw, Ichigo was searching for something that might have clues about us. Maybe we'll find something as well if we find whatever it is he was searching for." Shuren answered

"So, the key word being 'maybe'?" Kariya asked, not liking where it was going

"We have no other choice as we have found nothing even after nearly a week here. This is the first and only lead we've got so we need to take it. We're not gonna attack to take the world of the living as our own but merely to search what Ichigo was looking for." Shuren answered with a very good point

"I see. That's true. Alright then, I'll tell the others then but you do know that it is possible Ichigo destroyed what he found right?" Kariya pointed out

"I do but like I said, it's the only lead we've got so far." Shuren answered and Kariya nodded in understanding. "One more thing, you have been made aware of which ones we should prioritize in killing right?"

"I have. Should I kill them?" Kariya asked curiously but he had a good idea why

"No. You are to stay put until we know for sure that Ichigo Kurosaki has left for hell. Just try to have the ones we send out to try to kill that person. That way we can cripple them before our main assault." Shuren said

"I understand. It's all or nothing then." Kariya commented to which Shuren nodded. He then left to do as he was told

**-Hueco Mundo-**

Even though things have been incredibly quiet ever since Ichigo did that ritual. He, along with the quincies and fullbringers stayed in las noches to both rest up and be ready in case something went wrong. But since it has been a day of nothing happening, they were planning on returning to the world of the living in a few hours

Ginjo also took this time to apologize to Ichigo, something he would rarely even do. This did surprise Ichigo as he originally thought Ginjo just sided with him out of pure fear. Although he was not proud that his presence alone makes people crap their pants, at least it got the job done but he did wonder what would be the outcome once he confronts his dad. Ichigo accepted the apology although he still remained weary of Ginjo. The former substitute didn't take offense to it as considering how distrustful Ichigo has become in the months he had to hide himself from his enemies. Tsukishima also apologized himself out of his own free will and not because Ginjo did it

Nearly two hours later, Candice suddenly got a call from Kisuke and it was urgent. Since she was just hanging out on the balcony, no one else heard it and Kisuke didn't put it on a group call for whatever reason. Quickly, she went back inside Harribel's palace, which was where everyone else was. When she entered the room, everyone saw she appeared to be in a panic

"What's wrong, Candice?" Starrk said as he and Bazz B were playing chess. Surprisingly, none of them were resting. Then again, just relaxing and not stressing about stuff does count as resting in a way

"It's the sinners. A small army of them has just entered the world of the living." Candice responded and everyone immediately stopped what they were doing

"Already? Damn. These guys don't let up, do they?" Ginjo complained before looking around the room. "Where's Ichigo? Someone needs to go tell him."

As if on cue, Ichigo suddenly appeared on the entrance to the balcony with a knowing look on his face

"Ichigo..." Candice said but was cut off

"I know. I'm going back. Aizen told me it was only about a couple hundred troops with a lot of flyers." Ichigo stated and frowned

"What's bothering you, Ichigo?" Nel asked as he noticed the frown

"This isn't an ordinary assault. I have a feeling this is to check on whether or not I already entered hell." Ichigo replied. It was a reasonable conclusion given how the sinners have been not bothering to scout and would just attack with full force

"That's not all Ichigo." Candice said and got said person's attention. "They also used a senkaimon. They didn't enter from hell."

This surprised everyone as that was one thing they did not expect. Ichigo however, was regretting not leaving anyone behind to watch the soul society. Then again, it was his choice so that the sinner's attention would be diverted and it worked but it seems that he miscalculated and that the sinners have now turned the soul society into a base of operations. Maybe it was a mistake to kill as many of them as he did but Ichigo didn't dwell on it as that would achieve nothing

"That leaves a question to be answered." Ulquiorra said which confused everyone as to what he was referring to. "From what Dordoni told us, they have targetted the soul society first so they can have a staging ground for their next invasions as well as to search for a way to destroy their chains. If that is the case, then why did they only use the senkaimon? From what we've seen, why didn't they use one of those distortions to attack from two sides?"

"Perhaps that ritual not only affected hueco mundo and also hell. Maybe even caused their armies to die or something." Starrk said thoughtfully

"That's a strong possibility." Harribel commented

"Regardless, I'm going but after this, I'm heading right towards Kokuto's doorstep." Ichigo said adamantly

"What about you guys?" Candice asked, looking at the arrancars

"I will go with you." Ulquiorra answered

"I'll come along as well." Nel said before looking at the other two espadas. "Would you two be alright staying here?"

"Of course. Just give us a call if anything comes up." Starrk said reassuringly and Harribel nodded

"Alright, let's go." Ichigo said before opening a garganta behind him with said espadas and every non arrancar moving towards it

**-World of the Living-**

It didn't take the ones from hueco mundo more than ten minutes to arrive. When they exited the garganta, they saw a large number of gargoyles flying around with a decent number of them flying in the area above Ichigo's house, with many of which being shot down by explosions and getsuga tenshos, indicating that Bambietta was nearby along with Isshin

Not wasting a moment, Ichigo quickly flashed away and when he got close enough, he realized that they were trying to track down anyone with similar spiritual pressure to his own and realized that his family were the targets but whether it was to scout or to kill was something he did not know and he most certainly did not want to wait to find out. Pulling out his bow, Ichigo took aim and quickly fired arrows. Many of which missed but since he fired multiple, some also shot down the flyers and even exploded upon contact

Bambietta and Isshin quickly noticed the arrows and looked at the direction it came from. They saw Ichigo shooting down as many of the flyers down. Isshin smiled at this as Ichigo finally came back before cutting up a lot of gargoyles with a single getsuga tensho. Deciding to mop this up, Bambietta fired multiple of her reishi bombs into the sky and even though many missed, a single explosion from even one wiped out many of the flyers

"Ichigo? About time you came back." Bambietta greeted with a smirk as said person dropped from the rooftop he was on

Ichigo didn't respond to this and just looked at his father before looking away, seemingly in shame and regret

"I'll leave you two alone." Bambietta said and flashed away, heading to Candice's location

"Look dad..." Ichigo said but was cut off

"Don't worry about it Ichigo. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. After all, it's a parent's job to make sure their child is kept safe from these sort of things. Besides, I should have told you about this when you first became a soul reaper so you would be ready." Isshin said in a sad tone

Ichigo did not expect this at all. He thought his father would be mad as hell at this but surprisingly, he wasn't. "It's alright dad. You made those choices because there was no other way at the time. If you didn't, mom might have died from her hollowfication."

Isshin and Ichigo then just stared at each other without saying anything further. They weren't angry at each other nor were they blaming. It was just a moment of understanding between a father and son with both of them coming to terms with what happened in their past and what they did recently

Their moment was ruined when Isshin suddenly kicked Ichigo into the ground

Ichigo quickly got up and glared at his father. "What the hell was that for dad?!" he demanded to know

"That was for making me and your sisters worry! Did you really lose that much faith in us that even us would just discard you like that?!" Isshin yelled back before almost instantly calming down. "Look, Ichigo. I understand what you've been through. You shouldn't have gone through all of that."

"That doesn't matter now. All that matters is either we end this as soon as we can or the sinners just keep chipping away at us." Ichigo said before standing up. "I'll enter hell and end the sinners there."

"I'll come with you." Isshin said sternly but it did not faze Ichigo

"No. I'll go with Aizen." Ichigo said and immediately made Isshin uncomfortable. "Don't worry dad. My powers allows me to hide from even plain sight and I can hide my spiritual pressure."

Isshin saw a point but was still hesitant about it. After all, the two strongest among the ones against the sinners, his son being one of them, would be entering a realm with not much known to them and for some reason, Ichigo seems to trust him. He kept his silence at this as he really wanted to go with them but he was aware that he was nowhere near the level of power Aizen or Ichigo possessed. There was also the issue of the soul king's firstborn, which suspiciously, has not done anything ever since that massive tremor. Eventually, he gave in, knowing that Ichigo was not gonna be convinced of him tagging along and just decided to trust his son's judgment. "Alright, Ichigo. Just be very careful alright?"

"I will dad." Ichigo answered

While the two were chatting, Bambietta and Candice were eavesdropping from a rooftop, for a while at least. When Bambietta left, she bumped into Candice, who also wanted to help her deal with the gargoyles. Since they felt that the arrancars were quickly overpowering the sinner army, they decided to just stay put

"Is it just me or has Ichigo changed?" Bambietta asked her friend as they were eavesdropping on the Kurosakis, who surprisingly, didn't bother to react to it

"I think so. I mean, he wasn't even upset when he saw me in hueco mundo and that was a surprise given how he was when we last saw him." Candice said thoughtfully. "I think the bigger question is, why is he not reacting to use eavesdropping like this?"

"I know. Let's get out of here before they do react." Bambietta said and turned to leave

"Let's do that. I don't wanna get either of them pissed off at us." Candice said in agreement and followed her

While they were leaving, they saw some of the gargoyles who were in other areas retreat somewhere but there was no senkaimon opening, indicating that all these troops were just left to die

"I wonder..." Candice said as she observed the gargoyles

"What is it?" Bambietta asked curiously

"Ichigo mentioned that perhaps this assault was a move by the sinners to check if he was still here. But, how would these gargoyles go back to the soul society?" Candice wondered and Bambietta looked at her in confusion so she explained. "One of the arrancars that were killed in las noches during Ichigo's attack has returned. He gave us valuable information including that the soul society was their first target."

Bambietta also realized it just now and nodded in understanding. She was already aware of the possibility that the soul society was taken over by the sinners but was confirmed when the senkaimon opened and by Candice. "That's true. Maybe these sinners have some sort of telepathy or something."

"You really think so?" Candice asked, surprised that Bambietta would even think about that

"Well, who really knows. Everything that we know about our world is basically now in full question." Bambietta answered

"Well, you're right about that." Candice added

What they did not know is that on top of those retreating gargoyles were Shuren's rukongai citizens riding them and that they also flew above where Ichigo and Isshin was. Since they were under Shuren's control, he can simply look into their minds at what they saw, a bit similar to how Ichigo can see through his creatures

At the same time, the sinner ground forces were already wiped out since they were only few of them. While all of them went to regroup at the Urahara shop, Ichigo contacted Aizen and told him to meet him where Nnoitra came out. He didn't wanna do the same ritual yet since he already sealed off hueco mundo, this was their only point of entry. The soul society was another option but it would be a giant pain in the ass to fight through their forces there. He didn't bother to meet Kisuke at the moment as he wanted to end Kokuto then and there as well as get the information from the soul king's firstborn

A few minutes later, Ichigo arrived at the distortion and found Aizen already waiting for him

"Hey." Ichigo greeted

"So, you're back. What happened in hueco mundo?" Aizen asked curiously

"I tested what I found. The ritual on how to seal hell off worked." Ichigo answered

"I see. Why not seal it off from this world as well?" Aizen asked

"Do you want to fight through the sinner's forces in the soul society?" Ichigo retorted with a raised eyebrow

"That's a good point. So, how do we enter?" Aizen asked before looking at the distortion

"This is gonna get messy. Stand back." Ichigo said and began focusing on the distortion. "Luckily, Don Penin told me how to do this." While Ichigo was busy doing whatever it is he was doing, Aizen noticed some gargoyles flying above them and quickly shot them down with his kido. Just a couple minutes later, the distortion opened up and turned into what appeared to be a wormhole. "Let's go, now." Ichigo said. Aizen quickly entered the distortion with Ichigo following suit. It didn't take long before the wormhole closed and just turned into a regular distortion

At the Urahara shop, everyone regrouped and many were surprised that Ulquiorra and Nel came as well

"Greetings, Nel and Ulquiorra. Welcome back to my humble shop." Kisuke said jovially, as usual

"Thanks, Kisuke." Nel said, appreciating the greeting while Ulquiorra merely looked indifferent

"So, I heard hueco mundo was attack? What happened after that?" Kisuke asked

"Ichigo sealed off the distortion." Ulquiorra replied simply. "And one of our former colleagues, Dordoni, also gave us valuable information. The sinners have completely taken over the soul society."

"Speaking of Ichigo, where is he?" Candice said as she noticed said person wasn't here

"He already left for hell along with Aizen." Isshin answered, much to everyone's surprise. The only one who wasn't surprised was Ulquiorra since Ichigo did say that he would enter hell after repelling this assault

"Just the two of them?" Yoruichi asked in concern

"Yeah. I just let him go since I didn't think I could change his mind." Isshin answered

"Well, I hope he knows what he's doing." Kisuke said and that was really the best they could do before looking at Ulquiorra. "Did this Dordoni say anything else?"

"Only that the sinner's only goal in their conquests was to find a way to destroy their chains and escape captivity. He also gave us the details about their base of operations that was beneath the surface of hell along with a source of power that allowed them to hide from the kushanadas." Ulquiorra answered

"You don't mean...?" Askin asked knowingly

"Yes. Somehow, they have used the power of the seal of the soul king's firstborn. However, they seem to not know what the source is despite using it." Nel answered

This surprised everyone minus the ones who came from hueco mundo

"But that still leaves the question, why did they only send a small army?" Liltotto asked

"Ichigo thinks it was to check if he was still here." Ulquiorra answered

"If that's true, then why bother to check? I thought sinners couldn't be killed outside of hell?" Meninas pointed out

"Maybe something happened in hell. After defeating the sinners' army, Ichigo conducted a ritual that supposedly sealed of the sinners from hueco mundo. Perhaps an after effect of the ritual is causing the sinners to be more careful of their moves." Candice reasoned

"Honestly, I really do think something happened in hell. You don't cause a quake that strong and only happen on one side." Bazz B argued

"That's true, but we'll never know." Giselle argued back

"Regardless, what should we do now?" Ulquiorra said, stopping the small chit chat

"We'll have to retake the soul society and drive the sinners out somehow." Yoruichi said sternly

"Hold up, we're still missing something here." Tsukishima said and got everyone's attention. "What about the soul king's firstborn? We can't just recklessly make a move without knowing what he's been up to." he argued

"If we do that, who knows how much longer can we hold off the sinners." Yoruichi argued back

"No, he's right Yoruichi." Kisuke said, surprising his friend. "If we just launch a full scale assault on the seireitei, it might be to the firstborn's favor. Not only that, if what this Dordoni said is true and that the sinners have taken over the soul society, I find it extremely odd that the royal guard did nothing about it." he pointed out

"Well, that's true." Yoruichi said in realization

"So does that mean we'll just have to wait until Ichigo returns then?" Ginjo asked curiously

"I think that's the best course of action. We'll just suffer unnecessary casualties if we attack recklessly." Candice said in agreement

"That's true. Anyone object to this?" Kisuke asked everyone and got no objections. It seems that he made a really good point about the royal guard. "Then it's settled." he said before looking at the espadas. "What about you guys?"

"We'll stay here for now. Starrk and Harribel will tell us if something is happening in hueco mundo." Ulquiorra responded and got a nod of approval from everyone

**-Soul Society-**

"So, Shuren. What's the result of that little assault?" Ganryu asked as he approached with Riyan and Benin

"It was rather interesting. Ichigo Kurosaki left for hell not that long ago. The world of the living is ripe for the picking." Shuren answered as he saw that even through his mind controlled citizen

"So, we launch a full scale on karakura town then?" Benin asked

"No, we do not." Shuren answered adamantly and looked at his colleagues. "I will have Kariya, along with Jai and Mue lead the assault. The only goal now is to find clues of whatever Ichigo Kurosaki was searching for and search it ourselves."

"I see. So we cannot waste that much resources." Riyan commented

"Indeed. We're still on our own and us apostles cannot recklessly fight them. Everyone in the world of the living is a very capable fighter and our only advantage is our army." Shuren agreed

"So, when should they leave?" Ganryu asked

"At daybreak, which is only a few hours from now." Shuren said

"Alright. We'll go inform them." Ganryu said

"What about us?" Benin asked

"For us, we wait. If the battle in the world of the living goes in our favor, we attack and join them. If not, we hold our ground here. I'll have Taikon or Murakumo hunt down the loose captains so that we can continue our search here in peace." Shuren answered

The other three nodded at this and went their way

**-Hell-**

Just a few seconds after they entered the wormhole, Aizen and Ichigo found themselves in an unknown world, one that somehow looks white blocks floating around with blue passageways in between them

"What? Are we even in the right place?" Ichigo wondered as this was not what he was expecting

"I think it is. Look over there." Aizen said and pointed into the distance. Ichigo looked at it and saw some giant golems that had skeletons for a head wandering around, destroying some of the blocks before devouring something. These were the descriptions of what the kushanadas are

"So, we're finally here." Ichigo said and walked to the edge of the block they were on

* * *

**This one took a while. The last two days, I've been busy trying to get my papers as well as enroll for college so I had some delays in writing this chapter but at least that's over with **

**While I was writing this, I decided to change some of my original plans. Originally, that ritual Ichigo did was not gonna have an effect in hell but I changed that to what I have written now just to put pressure on the sinners. That way, both Ichigo's allies and the sinners will both be pressured in this war. Also, it will give some more justification of the sinners attacking everywhere because they think they're on a timer with the kushanadas. Speaking of attacking, I won't cover much of the sinner invasion of the world of the living. I think that would just be boring since it would just be similar to the hueco mundo invasions just with different characters involved. So what I'll do is only cover the important battles and add a summary of what happened in one of the next chapters**

**By now, all the members of the twelve apostles are mentioned. Shuren and the other four in his group, the dark ones from the memories of nobody movie and Kariya. I just added him in because among all the filler characters, he was the only villain that actually had a decent character. All of these guys are gonna be nearly or more powerful than Ichigo's allies and they will most definitely be more powerful than the soul reapers. If anyone wants, in the notes of the next chapter or the one after, I can make a power level list of all the major characters so tell me if you wanna know that**

**Oh yeah and I killed Mayuri. If you're wondering why, the main reason will be revealed in the final chapters as I have finally made up my mind about how this story would end and well, Mayuri's personality is not suited to how I want it to end. What I mean by this, you'll find out when the final chapters are done. It actually kinda made me sad I had to kill him because he was rather interesting but it is for the best, for everyone once the last few chapters are finished**

**That's about it for now I guess**


	58. Chapter 57

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty Seven - Journey through the Unknown**

**-Hell-**

"So, we're finally here." Ichigo said and walked to the edge of the block they were on. Aizen followed him to the edge and they looked into the distance. This was not what either of them expected to find. "You know, when I was planning to come here, this was not what I imagined it to look like."

"I agree. I actually thought it would be different as well. Other than the kushanadas, I wonder if there is a way to confirm this location." Aizen said before looking at Ichigo, whom he noticed frown. "You know a way, don't you?"

"I do. One of my techniques is to bind someone down with chains. Once I have done so, I can keep track of that person's location regardless of where they are." Ichigo answered

"So, who are these individuals you have bound?" Aizen asked curiously

"Grimmjow and Dordoni." Ichigo said before concentrating for a bit. After a couple seconds, he looked straight down. "We're in the right place and the information i got from Grimmjow was accurate." he said and Aizen motioned for him to continue. "According to the both of them, the sinner's base of operations is located beneath the surface."

"I see. We have to find our way down then." Aizen said and Ichigo nodded. "But what about the kushanadas?"

"We'll just have to hide our spiritual pressures. If worse comes to worst, I can hide both of us from plain sight." Ichigo answered

"Your zanpakuto allows you to do that?" Aizen asked, intrigued by Ichigo's powers

"Well, not exactly in the way one might think but more like, gives off the illusion we cannot be seen." Ichigo said with a smirk before looking at the blue passageway directly below them. "Let's go." he said before jumping down. Aizen followed suit and when they reached the bottom, they began running towards a random direction, all the while looking around for a place for them to head downwards but at the same time, avoid the kushanadas.

"**Ichigo, in this place, don't use your hollowfication unless you have no choice."** White said in Ichigo's mind

'Why?'

_"The atmosphere in this place is different from the world of the living or anywhere else. If you recklessly hollowfy, you might lose control over it and he will be forced to take over."_

'Alright, thanks for the heads up.'

As they were running, they suddenly noticed that some of the blocks were destroyed. Among them, there appeared to be people who looked very much like zombies. "What are those guys?" Ichigo asked as he came to a complete stop

"Honestly, I don't really know. On a wild guess, I'd say they are sinners as well. Perhaps they're the ones that have lost all hope of escaping." Aizen said as he too stopped to observe

"Then that means these guys are the ones the kushanadas were devouring when we arrived." Ichigo said in realization as he observed that these guys were really pale, skinny and their face looks like the life has been sucked out of them

"We should keep moving." Aizen said and led the way. Ichigo soon followed suit as he took one last look around. As they were running, one of the kushanadas suddenly appeared to their side. Immediately, without even saying a word or sparing a glance, the both of them used flash step to put a large distance between them and the kushanada. The both of them flashed onto the top of one of the nearby blocks and followed the closest passageway. A few minutes later, another kushanada suddenly appeared by phasing right through the floor. This quickly put both Ichigo and Aizen on alert as Ichigo prepared to hide them out of plain sight. To their surprise, the kushanada just looked at them, not doing anything

"What is it doing?" Ichigo asked warily

Aizen just kept his silence but continued to be on alert. Another few minutes went by with two more kushanadas appearing but like the first, they didn't do anything. For what seemed like an eternity, the kushanadas moved back and ripped apart the passageway directly in front of the duo, revealing what appeared to be a long way drop. "I think this is what we've been looking for." Aizen said as he observed the drop

Before Ichigo could even respond, the three kushanadas suddenly shot a beam of yellow energy at them. It happened to quick and they weren't able to defend themselves. Fortunately for them, it was not a harmful beam but one that granted them some sort of aura and a skull not that different on the kushanadas head appeared on their bodies, making them look like they had stamp of hell or something like that. To their surprise, the first kushanada then pointed at the drop the three of them created

"I think it wants us to head downwards." Aizen said thoughtfully and looked at the first one, who nodded, almost as if it understood what Aizen was implying

"You're right. Well then, let's keep moving." Ichigo said and jumped down. Aizen followed and the two then fell for what appeared to be a never ending abyss. It took them a few minutes of falling before they saw solid ground. Once they touched down, it almost looked like they were on an island. The both of them looked into the distance and realized that this level appeared to be an archipelago of some sorts. There was a massive reservoir of one they were on however, had the skeleton of a kushanada that was pierced. The same was also true for some of the islands across the water

_"Ichigo, whatever the kushanadas did to you, it seems to be protecting you from the air in here."_

'You sure? That means I can use my hollowfication?'

**"Yes but just use it when you really need it."**

"Aizen, have you noticed something off ever since we arrived?" Ichigo asked after conversing with his inner spirits

"What do you mean?" Aizen asked

"I'm not exactly sure. It just seems like the atmosphere in this place is quite different from the outside. When we got here, it felt like my hollowfication was gonna go out of control." Ichigo answered. He lied about the last part since he never attempted to use his hollowfication

"I see and yes, it does seem rather different however, once the kushanadas gave us these..." Aizen said while pointing at the skull that appeared on his upper left body, which was the same area in which Ichigo had one as well. "... it felt like we were back in the outside world."

"You're right. The kushanadas somehow knew what our goal here is." Ichigo commented. "That still leaves the question, where are we?"

"Most likely beneath the main surface. Are Grimmjow and Dordoni here?" Aizen asked, knowing this was the only way of getting some clues

Ichigo concentrated once more for a bit before looking down into the water. "No. They're still below us somewhere." he answered before taking out his swords and sending some flames straight down the water just to see how deep it goes. As he thought, it was actually rather deep, as if it was an ocean similar to the ones in the world of the living. It took quite a bit of time before it finally reached the end. To his surprise, once it went far enough, it came out to an area without water. Looking back at it, the water was just floating on this level before Ichigo had it dissipate. "We go down the water."

"What?" Aizen asked

"This water leads to another level beneath us if we charge right through it." Ichigo answered as he walked towards the water and removed his glove. He then tried to touch the water to see if anything's off about it. There was none. "Strange. I would have thought the water here would be different."

Aizen grew curious at this and followed Ichigo's lead. He was right. "Do we keep moving then?"

Before Ichigo could respond, a very familiar voice suddenly called out to them. "Captain Aizen? Ichigo Kurosaki? Is that you?"

The said people looked at where it came from and saw someone that neither of them thought they would see again

"Gin?" Aizen asked in surprise as he saw his former subordinate while Ichigo just looked there, shocked. Said man, like the others, had some chains on his body

"It really is you. What are you guys doing here?" Gin asked, getting over his surprise at seeing his former enemies

"We came here to end Kokuto." Ichigo said which made Gin open his eyes in surprise. "I take it you heard about him?"

"Why aren't you with his forces, Gin?" Aizen asked suspiciously

"I was pulled here after you killed me in the soul society." Gin answered but from his tone, he wasn't mad about it. "When I arrived here, I was offered to join Kokuto and the rest of his sinners as they plotted their escape along with a safe haven from the kushanadas. I turned it down and I have been on the move ever since, to hide myself from the kushanadas. But the other arrancars accepted the offer."

"Why didn't you accept it?" Ichigo asked

"Why would I? My interest was never to subjugate anyone. it was simply to retrieve something that was stolen." Gin answered

"So, you were aware of that day when I took something from Rangiku." Aizen said to which Gin nodded but from his expression, he wasn't angry, for some reason. "Why aren't you upset?"

"There is no reason to anymore. I failed in my task and I am bound in this place for all eternity." Gin said in a defeated tone

"Do you know where their base of operations is?" Aizen asked after a short silence

"It's about a couple levels beneath us. However, many hours ago, something strange happened. The space in here became distorted and the kushanadas found their base, which they call the 'Deathrise Citadel', and destroyed most of it. Kokuto has already sent most of his forces to the soul society by then." Gin said and the two appeared to be surprised, not at the last part but the one where the kushanadas destroyed the citadel and it was noticed by Gin. "I take it you two were the cause of it."

"Just me. I sealed hell off from hueco mundo." Ichigo said before deciding to reveal something to Gin. "Before you decide to help us, you should know that I am no longer allies with the soul society."

"I already know that and to be quite honest, as much at it makes me upset, I cannot blame you. Like captain Aizen, I was a captain myself and I was aware of what they were gonna do to Kugo Ginjo, and by extension, you. Even though I prefer you find a way to settle it peacefully, your reaction to it is not unreasonable." Gin answered honestly before looking at the water. "This water is just normal. We'll have to cross it if we are to get down below. Just be warned, the space on the other side of the water is not stable so be very careful." he said before he jumped down

"Do we trust him?" Ichigo asked as Gin already jumped down

"We were heading there anyway. If he does something stupid then we deal with him. It is that simple." Aizen said before following his former subordinate with Ichigo doing the same

It took them a few minutes of diving before they finally came out the other side. On the other side, both Aizen and Ichigo were surprised at what they saw. There were yellow lava pits, in the distance there were gigantic trees, some suddenly appearing and disappearing as well as upside down waterfalls. They both figured this must be what Gin meant when he warned them about the space being unstable. After coming out of the water, it took them a couple more minutes before they finally touched down on the ground. When they did, the part where Ichigo was standing suddenly disappeared but luckily for him, he was fast enough to flash away to safety

"What the hell?" Ichigo grumbled as he nearly fell downwards

"I told you, the space here isn't stable. Some things just appear or disappear at a moment's notice." Gin said in his usual self

"Where are we?" Aizen asked as he and Gin approached Ichigo

"This is where most of the sinners reform after being killed." Gin said before pointing at the lava in the distance. The two looked at where he was pointing and saw a figure reform in the lava before it was mysteriously dragged by something

"What is happening to him?" Ichigo asked as the figure was being pulled to the surface

"It's the kushanadas. By now, I am sure you are aware of what they do to the sinners." Gin answered

"Ichigo, are Grimmjow and Dordoni here?" Aizen said, going back to the matter at hand

Ichigo concentrated once more before looking at the edge of the ground they were on. "No. He is still below us."

"You mean those two? Any sinner who allied with Kokuto have different lava pits beneath this level. It is also the level where the deathrise citadel is." Gin answered, confirming Ichigo's claims. As Ichigo was about to jump down, Gin suddenly yelled out. "Ichigo, don't!"

"What? Why?" Ichigo asked, confused

"In this level, space isn't the only thing that's unstable. Time also is unstable." Gin answered, widening both of their eyes. "If you reckless enter a specific area, you could get stuck there for all eternity, as there are places where time does not flow, thereby preventing any movement. Since movement is also stopped, if you wander ito those areas, you will be stuck there for all eternity as there is no way to pull you out."

"So, how do we go down then?" Aizen asked

It was also at this moment that Gin finally noticed the skulls that resembles the kushanada's were on the upper body of Aizen and Ichigo. "What are those things?" he asked, wanting to confirm his suspicions

"I have no idea. The kushanadas just gave this to us before we came down from the surface." Ichigo answered

"I see." Gin answered and opened his eyes again as he adopted a thoughtful expression

"You know what these are, don't you, Gin?" Aizen asked

"In this realm, the kushanadas have absolute control over everything. Even the areas where time does not flow doesn't hinder them. To the guards, they just walk through it like it was nothing. It is possible that the kushanadas gave you a part of their power so that you can traverse this realm safely." Gin answered as he closed his eyes once more

"How did they know what we were planning to do in here?" Aizen asked curiously

"It may be possible that they know Ichigo was the one who sealed this realm off from hueco mundo. As such, they may consider Ichigo as help to deal with the deadliest sinners and thus granted you safe passage here. Although I'm not so sure why it wouldn't protect you from the unstable space." Gin answered before looking at Aizen. "Since the two of you are here, the kushanadas must have considered you as Ichigo's ally and thus also granted you safe passage."

"What about you?" Ichigo asked, concerned

"Don't worry about me. I'll find my own way down and meet you in the citadel, the destroyed citadel." Gin said with a smile, and not his usual creepy smile. "Also, like with this level, the space below you is also not stable so be very careful when walking. A trick to stabilise it is to use your powers to stop the space from disappearing, similar to how one would gather reishi particles to walk on air. Those skulls should protect you from the areas where time doesn't flow but still, be careful."

The two observed him for a bit. It could very well be a trap and like Ichigo, Gin is also unaffected by the kyoka suigetsu's complete hypnosis. Deciding to check if their guide has been honest, Ichigo grabbed one of his blades and swung it at him, missing him by a mere hair. To both Aizen and Ichigo's surprise, Gin didn't flinch, indicating that he really trusted Ichigo

"You'd better be right about this, Gin." Aizen said with a glare before jumping down, followed by Ichigo

As they were falling, Ichigo asked the question he wanted to ask since they saw the man. "Aizen, he was your subordinate right?" he said, getting said person's attention despite both of them falling. "What reason could Gin possibly have for helping us?"

"Rangiku." Aizen replied simply but it confused Ichigo, who looked like he wanted him to explain. "Ever since he was young, I always thought that he had feelings for Rangiku and I confirmed it right before we started our battle all those months ago. It may be possible that he wants you to reconcile with the soul society so you can save Rangiku for him."

Ichigo adopted a thoughtful expression at this. Due to how busy he has been, he was never able to give it much thought on what happens after the war. Not to mention all the issue with the soul king's firstborn and the mysteries that plague the world

As soon as they were near the ground, the two of them did what Gin suggested and concentrated reishi beneath their feet, letting them have a safe landing. When they landed, they were rather surprised that Gin was actually honest. This was especially true for Aizen as even though he took him under his wing, he never really trusted Gin

The ground they were on was different from the other three they have been. Unlike the previous ones, this one was littered with what appeared to be human skulls dug into the ground with only part of them visible. The immediate area they were on appeared to be a hilly one so the two of them moved to the highest one nearby. When they arrived, the view was cool or creepy, depending on who you asked. In the distance, the upside down waterfalls were now going both ways with some even accompanied by lava but unlike the one above, this lava was a mixture of the red and orange colors. The closer it was to the level above, the more it turned from red orange to yellow. The trees that were on the level above was also in this one but much larger. That wasn't even the weirdest thing they could see. In the distance where the red orange lava was, there were also glaciers on the surface of this level, connected to the lava streams along with the waterfalls. Further away were the same. There were massive glaciers of frozen ice that seemed unaffected by the lava. There were also some floating rocks the size of an island near these glaciers but since the space wasn't stable, some appeared or disappeared without warning. The only thing that appeared to be stable were the lava streams, waterfalls and glaciers

"Okay. This place, is weird." Ichigo said as he observed everything that could be seen

"Down there." Aizen said as he looked down. Ichigo was surprised at what he saw as there was a massive lava pit beneath them and this one was red orange in color like the streams above. At the center of the lava pit was what appeared to be ruins. From Gin's intel earlier, the kushanadas have destroyed the sinner's citadel when Ichigo conducted the ritual. It was accurate

Wanting to confirm their location, Ichigo concentrated again and this time, he found that Grimmjow and Dordoni were somewhere nearby. "This is it. I can feel Grimmjow and Dordoni somewhere in those ruins. But how do we go there?"

"We'll have to look for a passageway there or wait for when one appears then stabilize it ourselves." Aizen said as he tried to look for one

It took quite a few minutes of waiting before a passageway connecting the ground they were on to the citadel appeared. The moment it did, neither of them wasted time and quickly flashed towards it all the while being careful of the ground beneath them suddenly disappearing. Just a few seconds later, the duo finally made it to the entrance, which has a massive arch but it was destroyed

"I think this is it. I can feel Grimmjow and Dordoni near those lava pits." Ichigo said, looking at the stream of lava that was flowing towards an area of the ruined citadel

"Looks like we are welcome here." Aizen said sarcastically as a few dullahans came charging at them

"You or me?" Ichigo asked nonchalantly

"Hado number ninety, kurohitsugi." Aizen muttered, causing all the dullahans to be enveloped by a giant black coffin. When it cleared, all the dullahans were pierced and dropped to the ground

"Well, they know we're here." Ichigo said before looking at the peak of the citadel. "You feel that, Aizen?"

"Yes. There's a powerful spiritual pressure at the highest point of these ruins." Aizen answered

"It must be Kokuto. I'm going straight towards him." Ichigo said adamantly

"Alright. In the meantime, I'll try to gather whatever information I can find. If you need help against him, which I doubt you would, I'll come." Aizen said while looking at Ichigo

"That's fine. The more information we get the better. Besides, we still need to find the firstborn. Find any clues that would point to where he is." Ichigo said. Even though they originally planned to back each other up, they changed it now seeing as how the enemy's base was in ruins and that there was barely anyone here. The two of them then split up, with Ichigo heading right towards the summit while Aizen hanged behind and gathered what he could with the both of them still hiding their spiritual pressure

As soon as they split up, Aizen headed to the lava stream that was flowing into the citadel while hiding from the sight of anyone in the area, if there were any. When he reached his destination, he arrived in a place where it appeared to be deserted but in the lava, he could feel a few spiritual pressures. Quite many in fact, some of which he recognized but the others he didn't. He figured it must be the other sinners who were reforming after being killed somewhere. He didn't ponder on it for too long and continued to explore the ruins of what was once a massive citadel. In his exploration, he didn't really find much, other than destroyed structures and random corpses on the ground. His search for any signs of the soul king's firsborn yielded no results despite him searching for quite sometime while Ichigo was already up top fighting Kokuto. Another few minutes went by with Aizen still searching for it. He gave up trying to find the firstborn as it seemed that none of whoever stayed in this citadel knew about him so he just decided to look for anything out of the ordinary. His thoughts and search were interrupted when someone called to him

"So, there you are captain Aizen. I've been searching for you." Gin greeted as he approached his former superior

"Hello, Gin. I'm glad that you weren't lying to us about this." Aizen greeted back, gesturing to the skull on him

"I don't blame you. So, where's the kid? He's not fighting Kokuto on his own is he?" Gin asked curiously

"He is. We have business here other than Kokuto." Aizen answered very vaguely

"At any rate, come with me captain Aizen. There is something I found while I was searching for you." Gin said as he lead the way

Aizen grew wary at the actions of his former subordinate but decided to follow nonetheless. He kept his distance in case Gin tries to do something stupid like the last time they met in the soul society. Surprisingly, Gin wasn't trying to do anything but merely led him to a distortion. "Is that how the sinners have crossed over?" he asked as he looked upon a wierd area that looked like it was being twisted or pulled apart

"Yes but I don't think this one is strong enough to get anyone across, yet." Gin said before concentrating his spirit energy on it. "But, you can use it to look into the other side, which is what took me as long as I did. Look at this." he said as the distortion stabilized quite a bit. When Aizen looked at what he was shown, his eyes widened in surprise

Meanwhile, Ichigo headed straight for the summit. The moment he reached the top, he saw a man wearing some white clothes with a black bandage over one side of his head

"Welcome, Ichigo Kurosaki." the man said as he turned to face the newcome

"I take it you are Kokuto then." Ichigo said as he glared at the man

"Indeed I am." Kokuto said as he summoned his sword. With neither of them saying anything else, the two quickly locked swords and began their fight. "Quite excited, are we?"

"Not really. I just have some business elsewhere." Ichigo answered rather calmly

"Too bad. You won't get a chance to do so." Kokuto said as he pushed him away

"Yeah, well. Prove it then." Ichigo said as he quickly flashed towards Kokuto and put him on the defensive

Even though he was already in shikai, Kokuto was still able to hold his own albeit being slowly pushed back. Ichigo's raw strength was proving too much even for Kokuto however, that doesn't mean that was the end of it. While they were clashing, Kokuto suddenly pulled on his chains to block Ichigo's strikes. This surprised the hybrid and the tables were turned. Kokuto was now pushing Ichigo back. Despite not being as strong as the hybrid, he was still a formidable opponent. Unfortunately for him, Ichigo didn't come down here expecting an easy fight and while he was on the defensive, he quickly changed his fighting style by doding an attack and kicking Kokuto. This turned their battle around as Ichigo put him on the defensive again

With the battle going nowhere, Ichigo decided to unleash a getsuga jujisho but Kokuto countered with his own energy blast, one that was blue in color. It was a futile attempt as Ichigo's getsuga completely overpowered his energy blast. Kokuto was surprised at this as it seems that in the short amount of time between Yhwach's death and the sinner's first appearance, Ichigo has gotten even stronger. He underestimated the kid as he thought that just because he was able to stand toe to toe against Yhwach, he would get cocky and keep his strength as it is. It ended up being the polar opposite as unlike anyone else, Ichigo didn't slack off just because he reached a certain level and continued his training

Having his energy blast being overpowered forced Kokuto to retreat and before he could do anything else, arrows were being shot right towards him, forcing him to dodge them until one of the managed to hit him, wounding him. It didn't stop there as Ichigo quickly flashed in front of him and attempted to cut him down, now instead of dual wielding his blades, he was using his trench knife on one hand with the bow on the other and his khyber knife just resting on his back. While he missed with his blade, Ichigo quickly tried slice Kokuto up with the spikes on the bow, forcing him to retreat once more. Once he did retreat, Ichigo fired another getsuga from his blade, hitting his target dead on

Kokuto was wounded from that attack. It was evident due to how much he was bleeding, being cut up all over his body but he didn't care one bit. He wanted to escape this world and nothing was gonna stop him from doing so, not even the hybrid. When the energy from the getsuga dissipated, Ichigo didn't give Kokuto a chance to recover himself and tried to cut him up again. Without any other choice, Kokuto summoned an energy field around him to block the attack. Both of Ichigo's blades connected with the barrier and it caused spirit energy to erupt everywhere except on the other side of said barrier. This gave Kokuto an opening and he quickly kicked Ichigo on the abdomen and down to the ground. He attempted to end the hybrid by running him through while he was down but it didn't work as Ichigo summoned his flames to deflect the blade. With Kokuto disarmed, Ichigo quickly fired another getsuga, and forced Kokuto to dodge. That was exactly what Ichigo wanted as when he dodged, the hybrid was already there and inflicted another wound

Not letting the hybrid get too carried away, Kokuto quickly summoned his sword to his hand and slashed the hybrid, inflicting the first wound on his opponent. His opponent having sudden possession of his weapon threw Ichigo off, which Kokuto was quick to take advantage of by kicking Ichigo away and knocking off one of his swords from his hands. Thinking he had the advantage, Kokuto flashed in front of Ichigo and forced him to defend as he attempted to slice off the hybrid's head. Sadly for him, Ichigo pulled a similar trick and called the sword back to his hand. He could have just summoned it since it was already bound to his soul, but he chose not to so that Kokuto wouldn't expect it. Realizing something was off, Kokuto looked to his side and saw the sword sailing at him. He quickly broke away from the sword lock to dodge and this left him open. Ichigo quickly slashed him across his torso and kicked him away

"Give it up." Ichigo said coldly. He already had the advantage despite not using the full extent of his powers and he only got wounded due to being too aggressive. "I'll give you once chance, Kokuto. Call off the other sinners."

"Never." Kokuto spat venomously as he slowly got up, reeling from the wounds he received. He looked at his opponent and saw that his wounds have already healed. 'High speed regeneration.' he thought bitterly. "Our hatred's been burning for centuries. In this place, us sinners are constantly being hunted down and devoured over and over again, to remind us that we were nobodies. We were fortunate enough to build a place safe from the kushanadas but you nearly got us killed again. We will escape from this prison, even if we have to turn the outside worlds into a living hell!" he declared as he got into another fighting stance

"Last chance. If you ended up here, then you probably did something to deserve this." Ichigo countered as he remained calm

"Like you would understand." Kokuto said as he appeared to calm down. "Many years ago, we were peacefully living in the human world. Suddenly, some warlords came and murdered everyone in our village. After many years of tracking them down, I found them and killed them. But the pain didn't stop there so I kept on killing anyone I could find but whatever relief I found, it was only temporary."

"Do you think those in your village would have wanted you to go on a killing spree?" Ichigo asked quicky, getting the curiousity of the sinner's leader. "Instead of finding peace from your past, all you did was let it drive your actions. What would your family say if you faced them now?"

"Shut up, Kurosaki! You should be the last person to talk about that considering how you pushed yours away after killing Yhwach!" Kokuto retorted angrily. He did have a good point

"I know but at this point, I regret my actions. Whether they forgive me or not is something beyond my control but I won't use it as an excuse to keep avoiding them forever." Ichigo answered back, silencing the sinner. "If I make it through this war alive, I'll face them head on. I won't keep running from this."

"Hah as if that would ever work for me. Mine is already dead." Kokuto countered and glared at the hybrid, who merely had a sympathetic expression on his face. The sinner immediately realized what that look meant. The hybrid's mother was killed when he was young and he too let it drive his actions by protecting those close to him, albeit in a reckless way, sisters not included. However, after making peace with his mother's death, Ichigo discarded his original methods and focused on the bigger picture and a harsh reality, he can't protect everyone and he must, at one point, make a sacrifice on who to protect and who to let die. "It matters not. I don't care about anything other than escape from this damned place. If anyone gets in my way, I will kill them regardless of who they are." he declared despite his realization

Left with no other choice, Ichigo put together his blades and they transformed, indicating that he released his bankai. When he came into this place, he never expected Kokuto to listen but he wanted to give it a try, just in case he could make a deal with the sinner. Then again, if he did make a deal, he wouldn't bother to keep it since he isn't a trusting person anymore and he most definitely not naive anymore to trust someone like Kokuto

"Let's end this, Ichigo Kurosaki!" Kokuto said as he raised his spiritual pressure to its maximum possible level and charging towards his opponent

Ichigo didn't even bother to react as he simply swung his bankai sword, unleashing a wave of darkness. It quickly made contact with Kokuto and engulfed him. When it cleared, Kokuto appeared to be petrified but that wasn't the case as he was then slowly vanishing from existence similar to Yhwach. "That's finally over with." he said to himself as the sinner's leader was wiped out of existence

**"So, why'd you give him a fighting chance? You could have just gone bankai and ended him even before the fight began. And don't tell me you actually thought he would change his ways?"**

'I didn't. I just wanted him to have the other sinners come back here so I can wipe them all out in one go.'

**"I see. That was a clever strategy though, if only it worked."**

'Yeah well, not everything goes the way you want to.'

As soon as his little chat with his inner hollow ended, Ichigo suddenly got a call from Aizen. "What is it?"

"There is something I found. Come here if you're done with this Kokuto. You can track my spiritual pressure right?" Aizen asked

"Yeah. You're near that ruined archway on the side opposite to the entrance we came here, right?" Ichigo asked

"Yes." Aizen answered simply and hung up

It didn't take long for Ichigo to arrive and he found Gin along with Aizen. "So, what is it?"

"Look at this." Gin said as he focused on the distortion. Like with Aizen, it also caused Ichigo's eyes to widen

"What the hell? Is that the world of the living? Why is it disappearing?" Ichigo asked in a panic as he saw a giant hole in Brazil, a country far away from where he is native to

"I don't really know. I just checked this out since I ran into it while I was searching for captain Aizen." Gin said honestly

"How the hell do we stop this? Did our entry here cause this?" Ichigo asked

"I doubt it. Judging from the rate it is disappearing, I think this has been happening for a day at most." Aizen reasoned but it did not ease the mind of Ichigo as it had only been a little over a day since he conducted the ritual. "I don't think this is on you, Ichigo. Your ritual was conducted in hueco mundo. There is no way something like that would happen to the world of the living without anyone noticing. From what we got before we came here, it is safe to assume that not a single spiritual being is aware of this."

This caused Ichigo to frown as the bigger question now was, how long was it gonna take before the entire world disappeared? Before anything else could be said, a voice suddenly got the trio's attention

"If you come with me, I will explain to you what is happening." the voice said, a feminine one at that

The three quickly looked to where it came from with Ichigo readying his blades but dropped it when he saw the source of the voice. It was a short, young girl with green hair, wearing only a simple outfit, plain black, long sleeves. Her lower outfit was also just simple. It appeared to only be a track pants with some coil like patterns with the pants golden in color and the patterns black

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked as he observed her spiritual pressure and grew wary. Aizen also did the same and was surprised as it surpassed his own and was even comparable to Ichigo's. Gin tried to do the same but he couldn't sense it. He figured that this girl was far more powerful than he was which is why he can't sense her power

"My name is Nozomi Kujo, and I'm a member of the four horsemen."

* * *

**Don't be surprised that I turned Nozomi into a member of the four horsemen as I have warned time and time again that I would change the stories of the filler characters. I also have mentioned that the members of the horsemen were all from the filler arcs of the anime**

**Given the contents of this chapter, I think you should have a pretty good idea on how this story is gonna end and what the next chapter is gonna contain. Speaking of contents, I decided not to drag the fight between Kokuto and Ichigo for that long. It shouldn't be surprising because really, it was already mentioned that Ichigo is way more powerful than Kokuto but the sinner did have a chance to kill Ichigo because, as I mentioned many times, raw power isn't the only thing that decides the outcome of a battle in this story. It is a combination of skill, attitude, discipline, mindset, cunning and power**

**I also made some alterations to hell, mainly the parts where Aizen and Ichigo dropped down but mostly it's just the same in the movie. I also took some inspiration from the distortion world from pokemon platinum so to add some difference between hell and the other worlds because what's the point of calling it hell if it's just a glorified skyscraper**

**With that time stop, I actually had to do some research on that. Anything I google up has different results but the main difference is on which ones stop. I just took the part of nothing moves if time stops because that one seems to be the most reasonable one to me. Again, this was just another thing I added to hell so that it would be different from the other worlds**

**I might as well take this time to explain Ichigo's bankai. Given how the fights go, I am not gonna be able to write in Ichigo's bankai, unless of course I put it in randomly at the end of one of the chapters. I think this would be easier since I would be able to explain all the details about it. All of Ichigo's shikai abilities are usable in bankai. So here are all the abilities of his bankai during his battle against Yhwach**

**Eifu Hoku (Shadow Step Strike) - allows the user to quickly relocate to any nearby shadows. This technique has no limit if Ichigo used his haunted veil as it creates shadows in a massive area. Since it is relocation, it cannot be tracked by something like a pesquisa or one's perception. This is the technique Ichigo used when Yhwach lost track of him during their fight after releasing his bankai**

**Eishu (Eternity's End) - anyone who gets stabbed by Ichigo's sword will have a curse inflicted upon them, which can be activated at any time of his choosing. This is the one that suspend's the victim's time and also causes red marks to appear when activated. Unlike when time stops, this one does not prevent the victim's movement or awareness at all. This is why Yhwach was still able to move or why his powers never returned after getting struck by the still silver. If one is affected by anything, disease or injuries or otherwise, it will take time to heal, even if it is only one second, but since this curse prevents the victim's time from moving forward, the effect is maintained for however long Ichigo wants it**

**Yohan Zaisho (Darkness' Judgement, Existence Extinguished) - unleashes a wave of darkness that consumes any living creature it comes in contact with it. This is indistinguishable from Ichigo's flames since they can have the same shape. If it makes contact with a living creature, it will completely engulf the target in darkness before removing it from existence. The sole exception is when one is affected by the eternity's end curse, in which case Ichigo's sword must make contact again to activate this technique. Anyone who dies by this technique will be completely removed from existence and would thus not reincarnate or reform anywhere. This is what Ichigo used to finish off Yhwach for good. The almighty has no effect on this ability but considering Ichigo's personality in this story, it is why he held off on using this technique**

**So, that's all of Ichigo's powers. Since Zangetsu's power is to subjugate the darkness, all of his abilities are darkness themed. If you've got further questions just ask and I will try to explain it. Yeah he's broken af but trust me, he isn't the most broken character in this story. If anyone is wondering why I made Ichigo this powerful, well, ask yourself this. In the canon, why would anyone who not only has the broken ability to shape the future but also the powers of the soul king, consider Ichigo's bankai an actual threat that must be immediately destroyed? This is one of the basis in which I wrote this story. That one part where Yhwach instantly destroyed Ichigo's bankai in the canon**

**That is about it for now I guess**


	59. Chapter 58

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

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**Chapter Fifty Eight - Ancient Origins**

**-Hell-**

"My name is Nozomi Kujo, and I'm a member of the four horsemen."

The three looked at her in surprise. Aizen and Gin in particular grew curious as neither of them were aware of anything with that name although the first immediately got clues that based on her level of power, she must be, in a way, connected to the firstborn

"The four horsemen?" Gin asked after a tense silence

"You must be the ones sealed away, along with the soul king's firstborn, aren't you?" Ichigo asked, all too familiar with that name but like his venture in hell, it was not what he was expecting

"Yes, exactly." Nozomi confirmed the claim. "We have been waiting for you, Ichigo Kurosaki..." she said, looking at said person. "And you as well, Sosuke Aizen." she said, this time looking at him

"You knew we were coming here?" Aizen asked suspiciously

"We were. During your efforts to drive the sinners out, either you or Ichigo was eventually going to figure out that the sinners cannot be killed outside of hell. As such, it would only be a matter of time before one of you was going to make his way here and end them once and for all." Nozomi answered, not even bothering to spare any details

"Why did you want us to come here? Were you the one that orchestrated the sinner's assaults?" Ichigo asked suspiciously. He was aware of the truth but he wanted to be sure

"Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to?" Nozomi countered knowingly, surprising the hybrid

"So, you were aware that we were suspicious about the soul king?" Aizen asked

"We were, ever since the seal broke, we have been waiting for you to come here." Nozomi answered

"Uh, what exactly is going on?" Gin asked, not exactly understanding what was going on as he got confused about the soul king

"Long story short, the soul king has a firstborn that was sealed in this place long ago. When I killed Yhwach, the quincies' progenitor, the seal broke. This girl is one of his allies that was sealed along with him. Me and Aizen think there is more to the soul king than anyone was thought to believe." Ichigo answered

"Exactly. Ever since the seal broke when that massive tremor occured, we have been waiting for Ichigo to come here." Nozomi finished the explanation to Gin. "Although we did not expect AIzen to come here as well but we are glad."

"Back to the original question, why did you want us to come here?" Aizen asked

"To explain to you everything that happened years ago, as well as what is happening now. We know you've got questions and we're more than willing to answer them for you." Nozomi answered

"What's the catch?" Ichigo asked suspiciously

"We might need your help in stopping what is happening to the world of the living." Nozomi answered

Ichigo and Aizen eyed her suspiciously but Nozomi's expressiong never wavered. It remained serious without a hint of deception. Then again, appearances can be deceiving

"**I think she's telling the truth. I highly doubt even the firstborn or the horsemen can do anything to the outside world without anyone knowing about it." **Kyoka Suigetsu said inside Aizen's head, causing him to frown

**"This is odd. I can't seem to find anything that would point to her lying about this."** White said to Ichigo. Unlike his master, White can almost instantly know if a person is lying or not

It took them a few minutes of tense silence as the two outsiders eyed the horseman, horsewoman rather, suspiciously while GIn just observed as he is the only one who still doesn't have all the details

"Fine. Take us to the firstborn." Ichigo said while looking at Aizen, who merely nodded in agreement

"Just like that?" Nozomi asked curiously

"Yes. We came here to get answers from the firstborn in the first place." Aizen said

"Are you sure about this, captain Aizen?" Gin asked warily and the two outsiders just nodded

"Very well then, follow me." Nozomi asked and began to walk away

"What about me?" Gin asked as the three began to leave

Nozomi turned to look at him. "Feel free to come if you like." she answered before walking away. The four of them walked across the rubble for quite a while until they reached a certain point. Unknown to the other three, this area was where Kokuto and Murakumo fled to in order to evade the kushanadas. "Stand back." she said as she opened a doorway on the ground that lead somewhere beneath the ruined citadel. "This way." she said and led the way

This underground passageway had many small lamps to provide vision for anyway who passes through here. This area was chosen in particular because of these underground passageways, as after a while of walking, it split into a fork. Some going to the sides, one going even deeper. Kokuto and the others thought this was just a random maze. They explored the passageway that was still going deeper but eventually, they gave up as it only split up into more forks. What they didn't realize is that the one leading downwards was its own path that lead somewhere different, unlike the others which basically just lead to other areas of this underground labyrinth. This labyrinth was the perfect place to hide if they were ever found due to how deep it goes and when you were deep enough, one would be too far for the kushanadas to sense

"What is this place? I've never even thought there was something beneath the citadel." Gin asked as he observed the surroundings, which was nothing more than a cave

"This passageway leads to the lowest level of hell. Not even Kokuto, nor the other sinners had any knowledge about this. Unlike the other levels where you just had to jump down to get to the lower levels, this is the only way towards the bottom." Nozomi explained while the two outsiders listened intently

"Is there a reason why Kokuto never knew about the lowest level?" Aizen asked curiously

"Because this passageway splits into forks as you go down and it goes very deep. Even though we have been walking for some time now, the exit to the lowermost level is still quite far away." Nozomi answered as they stopped at another fork. "All the other paths merely lead to another area of the underground, which in turn, lead to other passageways. The one we are following, doesn't. It is the only one that leads to somewhere different." she finished and lead the way down the path going down

A few more minutes went by with the four of them still following the path. At this point, Ichigo has gotten a bit annoyed but he couldn't really complain. Nozomi did, after all, say that they were still quite far away from the exit. Gin has also become annoyed but was more intruiged by what they were doing while Aizen was looking forward to this

Eventually, they reached a dead end. "Here we are." Nozomi said as she approached the wall on the end of the path

"It's a dead end." Gin pointed out the obvious

"It's not, actually." Nozomi said and put her hand on the wall. After releasing a bit of her power, the wall opened and they could see light. She lead the way towards the exit and when they finally reached it, they found themselves on a cliff with a river of lava beneath them. This was what Aizen and Ichigo expected to find when they arrived at this place, not the other levels they went through while Gin was completely surprised. This level, was basically what hell should look like, at least to Ichigo anyway

Unlike the other four previous levels, this one was more reminiscent of the title of 'hell'. It was mainly a black colored landscape with many columns. Some of these columns were spewing lava. In the far distance, one could see massive volcanoes. Like with the random columns, they too were covered with lava. Some of them were even erupting but for whatever reason, there were no tremors. Alongside the columns, a large area of the ground was covered in lava. In fact, there appeared to be a sea of lava on this level. What separates this lava from the other two levels is that this one was red in color, unlike the yellow and red orange on the previous two levels. Lightning of different colors were also striking in random places. Luckily for the four, none of them were striking near them. It also looked like this level was of a world of its own as it appeared to have its own sky, except this one was red in color, reflecting the sea of lava below. The clouds above were a mystery as they appeared to be green in color and in a shade where one would think it was a poison cloud

"You know, this is what I imagined hell would look like if I ever entered this place." Ichigo commented as the three observed their surroundings

"I agree. I never even knew about this." Gin said in agreement

"What is this place?" Aizen asked, looking at Nozomi

"This is the lowermost level of hell. You could consider it as the core of hell. What happened so long ago is this is the first part of hell that was created in order to place the seal. It was originally just an ordinary level but the seal's energies slowly warped the space over time into what you see now but it didn't affect the other levels that much." Nozomi answered as she pointed to a certain direction, which was only noticed that there was something that was made of unknown material in the shape of a coffin. "To keep this place and the seal from being discovered, the other four levels were then created with this one having only one entry point, the one we just came through."

"I see. And I take it the soul king was the one who created hell?" Aizen asked and Nozomi just nodded. "So, where are the others?"

"It's this way." Nozomi answered and began walking on the passageway on a different area of the cliff they were on, leading to the land beneath them that was somehow not melted by the lava. "Make sure not to make contact with the lava. If you do, you will become a sinner yourself." she warned and continued walking. The boys took note of this and made sure not to touch the lava while Gin didn't really care since he has become a sinner himself

"Where are we going?" Ichigo asked as they were walking

"That cave over there. You can't really see it until you're close." Nozomi said as she pointed to a wall. This specific piece of land is weird as around it, there were pieces scattered that if put together, it would form a coffin, a very large one. It was also exuding spirit energy but something about it was different from the kind of spirit energy the three boys were familiar with. "We're here." Nozomi said as the four arrived on the wall. When they got close, it was only then that they realized it wasn't a wall at all. It was a cave. "Let's go inside. The others are waiting." she said and lead the way

The three boys looked at each other and eventually followed her inside. Without adding any more irritation, the cave was fortunately, not that deep, although it was large. It did remind Aizen and Ichigo about Yhwach's castle in the world of the living though. Inside, there were four people waiting, one seated on the side of the wall while the others were either standing or just sitting on the ground. One was a young male, around the same age to Nozomi. He had green hair and was wearing clothing similar to Nozomi, except his had different colors. The second was a dark blue haired, middle aged man. Like with the others, his clothing were also long sleeves and just a simple pants but unike the two green haired ones, his clothing was pure grey without any patterns whatsoever. His boots were different from the two green haired ones. While those two had boots that looked to be made of simple material, with Nozomi's being red and the male's being dark blue, this horseman's was heavy duty and had a serpentine pattern on it. The third one was a brown haired female. While her clothing was similar to the others, it was a different in a way that it actually had random patterns all over it with different colors. It mainly had a black background with the patterns looking like dagger or shuriken marks with the colors varying from red to yellow or even green. The same also goes for her pants. Her boots were also the same as the two green haired ones except it had eyes patterns, red in color. Their spiritual pressures however, were roughly equal to Nozomi's own

The last one in the room was also a middle aged man. He had black hair like Yhwach but it was slightly shorter, only reaching to the middle of his back. For some reason, he also looked a bit younger than his own brother. He was wearing a dark green trench coat with a black undershirt. HIs pants and boots were also similar to Yhwach but different in color, matching his trench coat. Unlike the other three, his spiritual pressure was stronger than theirs and it was even slightly stronger than Yhwach's own and by extension, slightly stronger than Ichigo's. This one detail put Aizen and Ichigo on alert but they didn't show it while Gin was just curious as to who they are

"Welcome, Ichigo Kurosaki, Sosuke Aizen." the man in the trench coat greeted them as Nozomi walked to the others

"Zhakuro, I take it?" Ichigo asked, surprising the horsemen and Aizen as not even he knew the firstborn's name

"I see you have heard about me." Zhakuro said as he stood up

"Just a small background on you but not the details." Ichigo said before looking at the others. "So, who are the others?"

"Oko Yushima." the green haired male introduced himself

"Shusuke Amagai." the blue haired male said

"Ran'tao Kazuko." the brown haired female said before looking at Nozomi. "I take it you've been introduced to her." she said

**"Weird. Despite everything, I still can't feel any hostile intent."** White said to Ichigo

'Are you sure you're not getting rusty or something?'

**"I'm not, believe me. Considering that the level of their spiritual pressure is roughly equal to yours, it shouldn't be too hard but yet, they appear to be genuine. Just keep your guard up."**

"You don't seem to be afraid of us." Shusuke said as he eyed the three

"I wouldn't be surprised if this was nothing but a trick to lure us here to kill us." Ichigo said as he grabbed hold of his blades with Aizen doing the same. Gin also did the same even though he knew he would be useless in this fight

"That's enough, Shusuke." Zhakuro said as he walked towards the three outsides. "I am sure that Nozomi has told you that we would answer any questions you might have and explain what is happening. That is what we'll do."

"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Ichigo asked suspiciously

"Because you know it's not." Ran'tao answered, getitng everyone's attention. "We're well aware that you've grown curious as even though it has been quite some time since the seal broke, we haven't been doing anything. There is also the case of our powers. You know none of ours but we are familiar with yours. If we really wanted to kill you, we would have done it in the most efficient manner, and that is when you entered or when Nozomi first met you all."

They really couldn't argue with that. Since Nozomi was as powerful as Ichigo, she could hide her spiritual pressure even from his pesquisa. He was curious as to why but that was for another time. This one argument finally eased up the surroundings

"So, what do you wanna talk about? Nozomi mentioned that you needed our help. WIth what exactly?" Ichigo asked as he let go of his swords

Zhakuro looked to his companions and they all nodded. "Before we talk about it, we will first tell you what happened three thousand years ago." he said before he rested on the ground. "Make yourselves comfortable. This will take a while."

After a few seconds of pondering, the three outsiders did just that

"Before we begin, were you aware that millenia ago, there was only one world and not three?" Zhakuro asked

Aizen and Gin were silent at this as they didn't know. Aizen had a clue to this but never got it confirmed

"I was. For whatever reason, the worlds split into three after the war between you and your father." Ichigo answered

"That is true, to a certain extent. The reality is the original world was torn asunder during our war but that's just a minor detail." Zhakuro answered

"What exactly caused the war?" Aizen asked

"A long time ago, everything was at peace, for a while. Where or how this universe came to be is something not even us know but in the end, it didn't matter. We just had to preserve it, for everyone's sake. During this time, my father, myself and my brother, shaped the original world as it was only in chaos. It wasn't easy and eventually, the original world was stabilized and soon, life began to flourish." Zhakuro explained. He didn't bother with much of the details as those were irrelevant to current events

"What happened?" Gin asked curiously

"Some centuries after we finished shaping the original world, the beings that lived, the ancestors of the souls of today, began misusing the ambient energy. I'm sure that by now, you've noticed the broken sealed outside and that it's spirit energy is different from the one you know." Zhakuro said

"I thought something was weird about it." Ichigo commented as Zhakuro pointed it out

"Yes. For you see, unlike the spirit energy that you are familiar with which every single being has, the ancestors of today's souls didn't have any spirit energy at all. The spirit energy was ambient, it is similar to hueco mundo and in this place, hell, in a way that both of them have effects of the beings that live in it. For example, in hueco mundo, some hollows can live without eating souls due to the density of the spirit energy in the air while here, hollowfication becomes a risky move due to the atmosphere being littered with hatred in a way." Zhakuro explained and finally answering one of the questions Ichigo had about this place

"So, that means that before, the only ones who had power were your family and the horsemen?" Aizen asked

"Exactly however, that does not mean that the other souls were not without powers. When you compare the ancestors to the one you have today, the closest you would get would be the quincies. Like the quincies, who uses the ambient reishi for their power, the ancestors also used the ambient spirit energy for their own. Like with the quincies, the strength of their powers would depend on the ambient energy." Zhakuro answered

"Wait, hold on." Ichigo said and getting the attention. "Based on your description, does that mean that reishi and spirit energy are the same?"

"Not exactly." Nozomi answered for Zhakuro. "The main difference between the two is that ambient spirit energy so long ago allows one to use it in a way unique to that being unlike the reishi which only allows one to walk on air or create spirit weapons. To be precise, reishi is the base component while the original ambient spirit energy was a combination of reishi and the spirit energy you know today."

"Then that means one's power comes from the ambient spirit energy and not their own?" Ichigo asked

"Yes. As was said earlier, not a single being, bar the select few, have spirit energy at all. As such, their powers instead directly come from their immediate surroundings. Unlike the quincies of today however, they were not restricted to spirit weapons only." Ran'tao answered

"And let me guess, the usage of the ambient spirit energy became too much and made the original world unstable?" Aizen asked

"You really are smart, Aizen. That's close but not exact." Shusuke said, surprising said person. "What happened was none of us interfered in their business. This proved to be a mistake as they began arguing and went to war with each other."

"War? For what reason?" Ichigo asked

"The same reason as the humans of today do. Territory, politics or even resources. Unlike the soul reapers, the ancestors' personality are strongly similar to the present day humans. Whatever the cause of the war is irrelevant as there was no stopping them. We couldn't even directly interfere due to how our own powers would cause the ambient spirit energy to grow unstable, thereby undoing our work." Zhakuro explained

"Do you really believe that?" Gin asked, not at all caring about the reaction of the others

"I do. Many wars in the human world have been fought for the dumbest of reasons. One of them was even because of some superstitious beliefs about a god. The worst part is they even sent underaged children to fight in their steads." Ichigo explained, surprising the two soul reapers. "If it really is true that our ancestors are not that different, then I wouldn't be surprised about that. Besides, if you take a look at the soul society, they easily get into fights by a mere insult so I don't think this is that unreasonable." he finished before looking at Zhakuro and the horsemen. "But, if your powers would cause the spirit energy to become unstable, why did you have to join the war?"

"Because if we didn't, they were gonna misuse the energy and eventually, cause all life to be extinguished. The ambient spirit energy wasn't just used to sustain life, it was also used to keep the original world from falling apart." Oko joined in. "If we didn't interfere, your ancestors' war would cause the world to eventually become desolate and that was the best case scenario. The worst case would be the entire world would be torn asunder. We didn't interfere by directly joining the war. Instead, we slowly suppressed their powers until they were forced to not use the energy. If they wanted to fight each other, fine, but don't drag the world with you."

"What happened after that?" Ichigo asked, wanting to move on

"We did just that. We disguised ourselves as if we were ordinary beings and silently used our powers to slowly ease the conflict. However, that is where the trouble started. My father, which you now know as the soul king, didn't want to give anyone a second chance and was planning on wiping everyone out." Zhakuro answered with a frown

"You actually give second chances?" Ichigo asked curiously, being reminded of how he once operated

"To the perpetrators, no but we all know the truth about war. There will be many innocents who pay the price for an act they didn't commit nor have any knowledge of." Zhakuro answered, surprising Ichigo that he wasn't offended.

"That's true, for everyone. Many soldiers in the human world get drafted into a war because politicians argue and don't come to an agreement. The same also goes for the spiritual world. The soul reapers and quincies were at war with each other simply because of something that happened long ago, and the other would generalize everyone for the act of one." Ichigo commented sadly

"Yes, that is the truth about war. Whether you want to or not, you will be forced to join for the sake of survival." Zhakuro agreed

"What exactly did you do? Why did you want to save the others?" Aizen asked, getting to the point of what the firstborn was implying

"Because I did not want to see innocents get killed. In the end, war achieves nothing but the destruction of both sides. If one actually begins, then both sides become unjustified regardless of reasoning as war will ultimately end in the loss of life, even if it was a one sided massacre." Zhakuro answered and looked to his compatriots. "Since we found out that my father was going to cast the ambient spirit energy to kill everyone, we used our own to interrupt the flow of the spirit energy, thereby thwarting father's plan. At this point, many of your ancestors have gone into hiding as the ritual as well as what we did to stop it caused massive bursts of power. Many who were too close got killed and our existence were then revealed to the ancestors. It didn't take long before father sent some hunters to finds us. We hid for a very long time and remained undetected. That was until my brother, Yhwach joined in."

"So, Yhwach was against you?" Ichigo asked curiously

"Not exactly. My brother before was very different from how he is when you met him. Before, he was very carefree and while he was aware of the ancestors' war, he didn't care too much about it. He just minded his own business in another part of the world. What he was doing is something I do not know but when he came back, my father told him that we endangered the world when we used our powers. This angered him and personally hunted us down. I was never really able to figure out why at the time but he couldn't be reasoned with. It was only when I realized of his recent actions that my father used his powers on Yhwach, making him close minded, without his knowledge. When we were eventually found, we were finally forced to go all out. Many of the original beings, and not just the ancestors but also the wildlife of ancient times, were killed. Since our powers were beyond what anyone else could have fathomed at the time, it made our worst nightmare come true, the world itself was slowly being torn asunder. Not only that, the battle between our family, the horsemen, and those who sided with father raged for nearly a century with neither side gaining much of an advantage. At that point, it became apparent that father no longer cared about the world's well being and was focused on killing us. When the world was completely nearly torn apart, we were forced to try and heal it and that gave father an opening. Since our powers were already weakened from trying to undo the damage from our war, he used that chance to suppress most of our remaining powers and we were defeated and sealed away. However, since the world was still continuing to be torn apart, my father had no choice but to let it be torn apart as his own power was also drained in our war. Even though he drained a good amount of his power, he still had a decent amount to spare so what he did was he created a different realm using the ambient spirit energy. In that realm was where you could find the highest concentration of spirit energy and he used it to let the world be torn apart but not enough for it to be completely destroyed. This realm would later be known as the 'royal palace'. Instead, it only split into three worlds, the ones you know of today and in order to keep all three in balance, he put himself in a state of suspended animation and used himself to keep it balanced. This was the only way as if he did not have sufficient power to stop it from being torn apart but he had enough to stop them from completely disappearing. He did this for two reasons, one, was for what I just said, so that the three worlds would be balanced and two, to ensure his own survival. In the state he was in, he could not defend himself from any attacks. By binding the fate of the worlds to his own life, he effectively ensured his own survival." Zhakuro said, finally giving the whole story

"Hold on, that doesn't explain something. Why would the soul king just wanna kill everyone?" Ichigo pointed out

"How would you feel if someone is trying to destroy your life's work even unknowingly?" Nozomi countered, she had a point. "You know the answer. The soul king, as you know him today, is known for many things. Patience not being one of them. I'm sure you can think of others who are not patient as well."

"That's true. So what happened to you guys?" Ichigo asked

"With our powers drained, it gave father the chance to seal us away but he still needed a place to put the seal. In the area of the original world that had the most unstable energy, he drained nearly all of it and used it to create a realm made to place away the seal, this place, while the remaining energy eventually became the enriched spirit zone. To ensure that nobody would find it, he created the other levels above us and as you noticed, it completely throws off any suspicions that a level below the citadel even exists." Zhakuro answered

"How long ago was this?" Aizen asked

"Nearly three thousand years ago." Ran'tao answered, surprising the outsiders

"I see. What happened after the original world was sundered?" Aizen asked as he got over his surprise

"The soul king transformed every single humanoid being that survived the sundering into what you have today. The world that had its ambient spirit energy drained is the world of the living that you know of. That is why in that world, there is only one spot that has reishi, which you could consider as the descendant of the ancient ambient spirit energy. The soul society is pretty much where we once lived and even though the spirit energy has been reduced to reishi, it's still rich with it and life still flourishes. It's the part that suffered the least while hueco mundo is the part the suffered the most, evidenced by its barren landscape. Did you know that the soul reapers are cursed, or blessed, depending on how you look at it?" Zhakuro asked after explaining

"What do you mean by that?" Ichigo asked

"Well, as I mentioned, in ancient times, one's own power would be drawn from the ambient energy, not from your own. This also includes the unique powers. However, after the world was torn apart, father changed all that. Right before he became unable to do anything in his state of suspended animation, he made sure that spirit energy would now come from an individual being while the ambient energy in the atmosphere was reduced to its base component, which you call today as reishi." Zhakuro explained but noticed the confused looks. "This is what makes the soul reapers, and even hollows, different from their ancestors. The ancestors would most of the time, have equal amount of power due to it being in the atmosphere but now that it comes from their own being, the amount of power one has would vary from individual to individual. While it can be considered spirit energy, the truth is the ambient spirit energy is a combination of pure energy and spirit particles. The pure energy is what was drained and only the reishi remained."

"You're saying that before, the ancestors wielded the ambient spirit energy similar to the soul reapers today use their zanpakutos? And now that the energy comes from how much one has, there is now a difference in strength?" Aizen asked

"Not exactly. That is true but to be exact, they wielded it similar to how the quincies use reishi but not limited to spirit weapons. Other than that, yes." Oko answered

"What about the hollows? Why do they have a hunger for souls?" Ichigo asked

"I was getting to that. The hollows were those that survived but were the greatest victims of both rituals. An after effect, they developed a hunger for spirit energy due to the lack of it in the air as it was now only reishi however, at this time, only those who remained in the soul society became souls you know of while the lack of spirit energy in the air in the world of the living caused who hid in that area to lose all sense of spirituality with only incredibly few having spirit energy. This resulted in them turning into humans you. Yes, all beings today have spirit energy but the amount so little that it's barely noticeable that many wouldn't even bother to count it as spirit energy at all, at least that is when they die, where their energy will slowly grow. Not to amounts that are significant but just enough to satisfy a hollow temporarily." Zhakuro explained

"That's not all. The soul king, as he came to be known, also used the little bit of his own extra powers that hasn't been used yet to wipe out everyone's memories, thereby making Yhwach the only one to remember what happened three thousand years ago." Ran'tao added

"Speaking of Yhwach, what happened to him after the world was torn apart?" Ichigo asked curiously

"He was at father's side, assisting him in the endeavor to balance the worlds. Under father's instructions, he was the one who shaped hell into what you see now as well as creating the barriers that separates it from the other worlds. He made it in a way that all three worlds can access hell but only if the barriers are severely weakened. Think of hell as a counterpart to the royal palace. It exists in the same space as one world but a different dimension." Zhakuro answered

"Indeed. However, as Yhwach was occupied in creating a realm solely to put away the seal, the soul king used this chance to bind the barriers to his life. He was aware that even though we were defeated, we would slowly regain our powers. Since Yhwach was the only one who had sufficient power, the soul king used his life to ensure that we would never get our powers back and the seal would not break, along with maintaining the barriers separating hell from the other worlds." Shusuke added

"So, you're saying that when the seal broke, it wasn't because of Yhwach's death weakened the seal but because you regained your powers?" Ichigo asked

"Yes, that's exactly what happened." Nozomi answered before deciding to finish the story. "While things have calmed down after the worlds were balanced, Yhwach used this time to explore what had happened. During his travels, he soon realized that he had been tricked and that the soul king had cast some sort of spell on him. It was also around this time that he found something odd about himself and eventually, he figured out what it was."

"His own life keeping you guys sealed away." Ichigo finished with narrowed eyes

"Yes. When Yhwach tried to enter hell, he also realized that the soul king has somehow locked him out of the place, that regardless of what happens, he will never be able to enter it on his own. That was around the time that he gave powers to some of the humans and turned them into quincies. And, well, you already know what happened after that." Shusuke explained

"That still doesn't explain something. If that war was over, why did Yhwach want to merge the worlds?" Ichigo pointed out

"To get the original world back. In ancient times, there was peace, actual and true peace. It wasn't until your ancestors became too greedy that everything fell apart. However, in those times, there was no aging. In other words, not a single being had to wake up each day wondering if it was gonna be their last. The only way end someone's life in those days was to deliberately kill them. Even though today that isn't much of a problem thanks to the reincarnation cycle, people still fear suddenly dying and that was what Yhwach wanted to fix, as well as his own mistake of not realizing the truth about his brother." Ran'tao answered

"Speaking of which, how did the reincarnation cycle came to be?" Gin asked

"To help maintain the balance. Despite the soul king using his very being to keep it in balance, it wasn't enough so he further transformed the souls of the survivors, every single one, into relocating to another world when they die while also removing their immortality. He also concentrated all the remaining reishi into one area, the enriched spirit zone. It has a significant amount of reishi but not enough to compare with the soul society or hueco mundo but enough to attract spirits. This area is also the only way in and out of the world of the living to the other two. You cannot use the senkaimon or garganta to travel anywhere other than the enriched spirit zone. Speaking of senkaimon, in his first centuries in the state of suspended animation, father also created thee precipice world to grant safe passage to souls moving from the world of the living to the soul society. Since he wiped out everyone's memories, not a single being was aware on how to manipulate the garganta except the hollows, who due to their heritage, knows it by pure instict. As I mentioned, everything and everyone has spirit energy, only that most have barely noticeable but by the sheer number of deaths, souls would move on to the other worlds, thereby helping maintain the balance as they have their own spirit energies by keeping the flow of spirit energy." Zhakuro explained

"This was also around the time when the first soul reapers of today showed up. Yes there were people with their own unique powers but it usually wasn't significant enough. It was only then that the soul king's own transformation was also realized that the soul reaper's own powers gained a manifestation in the form of their zanpakuto, thereby ensuring that they don't get their powers for free. However, these powerful soul reapers were very rare and it wasn't until nearly a millenia later that a group of powerful soul reapers appeared at the same time, namely the original captains. With a group finally there, the soul king gave them the knowledge of the worlds, namely the balance while those previous ones that were only about one in a century, were already in the world of the living doing the hollow business with them already being told by the soul king. However, the ones that preceeded the previous captains died due to natural causes or getting too cocky with the hollows and those that did survive had their memories wiped out." Oko added

"There's a problem with this part of your story." Ichigo said, getting raised eyebrows. "If the soul king was already in a state of suspended animation, how was he able to do all these things?"

"If I were to be so bold to say, we were each gods in our time. The soul king being the most powerful. Unlike what you human scientists think of suspended animation, which is basically something or someone unconscious for an amount of time, in ours only direct movement was suspended. Anything that can be controlled by the mind alone was still perfectly doable and since we were gods, our powers were next to limitless in our own realms, not to mention we did not rely on the ambient spirit energy for our powers. Even now that the spirit energy has been reduced to its based material, reishi, it doesn't bother us too much." Oko explained, giving a satisfying explanation

"So, he has been conscious all this time then." Aizen concluded

"Yes. That's not all. During his state of suspended animation, he also sent out apparitions of his own body, specifically the heart and arms. These were the quincies known as Pernida Parnkjas and Gerard Valkyrie while his right arm's apparition was called 'Mimihagi'. These apparitions, despite showing signs of their own will, were just an extension of the soul king and he used them to gather power." Ran'tao said

"Power? For what?" Ichigo asked, a bit familiar to these names thanks to his quincy friends

"To escape his state of suspended animation. Since he used his own powers to keep everything in balance, he needed to get a bit more so that he can keep his own to maintain the balance and allow him to physically move. Even though the two quincies already had their own powers due to being apparitions of the soul king himself, Yhwach also gave them a portion of his own, which is exactly what the soul king wanted while Mimihagi has been slowly but surely gathering powers from the rukongai citizens who wanted a cure for fatal diseases or something similar. When both quincies were killed, they merely returned to the soul king and as such, he gained the power he needed to finally regain the ability to move without collapsing the balance. Around this time, he also pulled back Mimihagi back to himself just to make sure the worlds would still be balanced if he did move. After that, all he needed to do was subdue the royal guard and undo everything he did to keep the worlds in balance and rebuild the original world." Nozomi explained

"Why did he have to wait before undoing everything? Why not undo it instantly? More importantly, why didn't he just leave his suspended state sooner?" Aizen pointed out

"So that there would be no suspicions whatsoever. If he undid everything instantly, it would cause attention to be diverted to him as no matter what he did, the worlds being kept in balance for three millenia would take at least a few days before it would be completely destroyed. That also goes for the sinners. For your last question, it's because of the apparitions he made. You see, the kind of power he needed can't just be random. It has to be strong enough and similar to his own. That is why he disguised two of them as quincies, so that Yhwach will give them a portion of his own power, while the third was only for backup. I mean you could gather just about any power but that might have unintended consequences even for his goal." Shusuke answered

"I guess he really planned everything huh? Kinda reminds me of someone." Ichigo said while turning to look at Aizen, who merely smirked in response

"Not necessarily." Oko said, confusing the outsiders. "I take it you have heard about the almighty?" he asked and the two nodded. Gin didn't really understand the specifics but perfectly understood all explanations. "The soul king also has that same ability except his is more refined than Yhwach's. His has no blindspots while Yhwach has one and that is it cannot see anything that concerns the soul king. However, they both do share the weakness of unpredictabilty, which is how you overcame Yhwach."

"Since the soul king also has the almighty, he already knew what would happen and shaped this future. By portraying himself as a noble being who sacrificed himself to keep everything in balance over the millenia, just about everyone and everything believed that anything otherwise was false. Like with most beings, they are close minded. Those who are open minded and would be willing to consider contrary opinions are very rare to find." Nozomi added before looking up. "As I mentioned, he already shaped this future and that included the sinners. Their role in all this was to be a scapegoat. The ones to take the blame while the real culprit, the soul king, does his work uninterrupted."

"If that's true then how come Yhwach didn't suspect a thing about that Pernida or Gerard? Based on your explanation, it seems they just appeared out of nowhere then shouldn't that draw suspicion?" Ichigo pointed out

"That's true but don't forget, the soul king and Yhwach are directly related. If Yhwach can turn someone into a quincy then the soul king would most definitely be able to do so as well. I'm sure you're aware that the almighty cannot see anything into the past so all the soul king had to do was keep his apparitions hidden until the quincies have populated enough. I'm sure I don't have to explain how one would appreciate someone with that caliber on your side. Just showing loyalty, even a fake one, would usually be enough to win someone's trust even if it's incomplete." Oko answered

"Well, that's true. I can confirm that myself." Aizen said while looking at Gin, whose smile got wider

"What about this place then? How did the sinners come to be and what part do they play in all this?" Ichigo pointed out

"Distraction." Zhakuro answered and got looks that wanted him to explain. "Hell was originally just a barren landscape with the only thing you can find is what you see. However, the seal's powers eventually warped the landscape, turning some of the stone columns outside into the golems known as the kushanadas. The method of how one is pulled into hell however, is inconsistent. The only consistent about it was that anyone who committed atrocious acts would automatically be pulled away. Everything else is inconsistent and unpredictable. Some souls would even be pulled here even if they never committed that atrocious acts, for example your friend over there." Shusuke answered while pointing at GIn. "Sure he did help Aizen in manipulating the souls but that's about it. His goal was always to betray Aizen when the time is right. Even souls that doesn't have any malicious intent such as your friend Dordoni was pulled here. As mentioned earlier, the escape of the sinners was planned by the soul king. Since they are supposedly to be imprisoned for eternity, it is gonna cause severe problems if they somehow escaped and would thus divert all attention. Think about it. Do any of your allies suspect anything wrong with the soul king, at least before you mentioned your own thoughts?"

"I see." Ichigo said before narrowing his eyes. "I have one last question. How do you know all this? If you were sealed away, I doubt you would be able to do or even see anything on the outside world."

"Because of my own unique power." Zhakuro answered before closing his eyes. When he reopened them it became all to similar to Yhwach's own, having extra pupils. "I have an ability that is similar to the almighty however, instead of seeing the future posibilities, it allows me to see everything in the past to a time period of my choosing. This was the first thing I did when we finally got our powers and broke the seal."

'What do you think?' Ichigo asked his inner spirits

**"I think it's genuine. While I was observing them, they never wavered, not even once. This also fit the pieces perfectly, for me anyway since I never trust anything revered as a god. But you do know there is a way to find out."**

"How do I know you're not lying?" Ichigo asked suspiciously but to his surprise, none of them were annoyed by it

"Ichigo, I will tell you a secret that only us know. In raw spiritual pressure, you are more powerful than even the horsemen. We have already reached the peak of our powers but you, not so much. In fact, you are already equal to Yhwach and even he was stronger than them however, it would still take you some more training before you could hope to defeat one of them. You may think that I'm that much more powerful than my brother but that's only half true. The difference between me and Yhwach is not that great and when you finally reach your peak, you would be able to defeat me in a fair fight, provided neither of us screws up and I don't use my godlike powers. The point is, we have need of someone of your power and the fact that we didn't do anything to you is a sign of good faith, to an extent." Zhakuro answered and got up, before summoning a sword to his hand. It put the outsiders on alert but to their surprise, he didn't do anything with it. "I know you have the unique quality of being able to tell what is in someone's heart."

"What about it?" Ichigo asked

"Let's fight. Not one where we kill each other but merely one to try and understand each other. Considering we are nearly equals, you should be able to tell what's in mine after a few minutes of fighting." Zhakuro answered

With no other choice, Ichigo accepted but not before having AIzen use his complete hypnosis. The two fought for nearly an hour but neither were trying to kill each other. This did surprise Ichigo as he actually kept his guard up and was more than ready to swap places with his hollow at a moment's notice. Eventually though, both Ichigo and White agreed on something. Zhakuro did not lie about anything at all. Like with his battle with Aizen, he was able to feel the firstborn's sword and the only thing it was filled with was regret. In this kind of prolonged fight, it would be next to impossible to hide your true intentions from your opponent, if he or she was actually trying to understand you anyway. They did stop their banter after nearly an hour and Ichigo finally decided

"Alright. I can tell you're telling the truth. What you really want from me is to ensure everyone's survival." Ichigo said with narrowed eyes

"Exactly. We failed once already and we most certainly not want to do so again. While it is true that we prefer how things were in our time, the fact is, times change and you have to adapt. You have to make peace with your past otherwise it will haunt you forever." Nozomi said and it immediately reminded Ichigo of what his inner spirits taught him long ago

"That's true. So, I take it you know how to stop what is happening then?" Ichigo asked. Zhakuro and the horsemen then explained their plans to the three outsiders and it widened their eyes. "Are you sure that's the only way?" the hybrid asked

"It is, however, it will have to be done in the royal palace." Zhakuro answered and the horsemen appeared more than ready to go along with it

"Well, alright if you're sure about it. What about this place though? How do we get out? And what are those distortions anyway?" Ichigo asked, only realizing it now

"The same way you came in." Oko said and confused the outsiders. "Let me ask you something. Where do you think this place is located?" he asked and only received confused looks like in his previous statement. "It is located in the same place as the three worlds. Think of it like the royal palace. It exists in the same space as soul society yet a different dimension. I guess you could call it, it exists in the same space but at the same time, a different space. These distortions are the results of the barriers weakening after Yhwach's death. A more concrete analogy would be a door that separates two rooms in the same house. It can be opened slightly to allow you vision on the other side but not enough for one to pass. If it is fully opened, it completely allows passage both ways but like a regular door, it only connects separate places."

"I see but then how do you use it to end up where you want to go?" Ichigo asked once more

"Well, the analogy given was just the simplest of terms so it is a lot more complicated. To put it simply, there are many doorways, each leading to a different part. In the upper levels, there are no such things due to how the space there is completely stable but here in the lower levels, the space isn't and as such, you can only find them here and there are quite a few, each of them leading to different spiritual areas. The main difference between passing through and just looking through it is that you can use it to look just about anywhere you want while you can only use it as a door in areas where there is a great enough concentration of reishi. Just manipulating the reishi allows you to see to the other side and if you know what you're doing, you can even decide where you wanna look but you would still have to concentrate your spirit energy on it so you can pass through it." Ran'tao answered

"How come the kushanadas never noticed anything suspicious?" Aizen asked

"Because of the seal's power. The seal we were put it was releasing power into the air. This very same power was then manipulated into how the sinners wanted it. Since this power is the same as the ones that filled the world three thousand years ago, all it took was a few tweaks to turn it into an energy barrier, one that was damaged by your ritual. Even after the seal was broken, it's effects still lingered however, if the sinners took no action for a few more months, then the kushanadas would eventually find out about them but that's not what happened." Shusuke explained

"What's the story of the sinners anyway?" Gin asked curiously

"Well, the twelve aposltes, as well as Kokuto, were among the people who committed the most atrocious acts after the worlds split apart. Whether that was by pure murder or selling slaves or even just destroying the environment. While they were powerless when they first arrived, the spirit energy from the seal that was released into the atmosphere eventually gave them their powers. Unlike the other beings now, many of them have similar powers to each other with hardly anything unique to one alone." Oko answered before realizing something else. "Those bounts, headless horsemen, ghouls and gargoyles however, are the results of other sinners that have tried to gain powers but were unable to take it and were forever warped. The bounts are unique as they gained something similar to the soul reapers but opposite in nature. Instead of their powers manifesting inside them, it manifests outside but like the others, many bounts have failed and have become the dullahans or gargoyles. The spirit energy from ancient times is not meant to be used the those of today and those who do try can try with a very low likelihood of success or be turned into one of those things. Even though the twelve apostles and kokuto have gained powers through the seal's residual energies, it's not unique to them and they share many similar abilities. The kushanadas on the other hand, were warped landscapes that have complete control over hell."

"At least they truly deserve the title of 'sinner'." Gin commented

"Any more questions?" Nozomi asked and after a while, got no response. "We should head out. The longer we stay here the more of the world of the living is gonna disappear. In about two or three days, hueco mundo will disappear as well and be merged with the soul society." she said and led the way out. The others followed after that and made their way to the citadel

"Wait." Ichigo said as the horsemen were trying to open a gateway into the world of the living. "I have a promise to keep." he said and left towards the lava pits in the citadel

"I might as well inform Kisuke Urahara about the change of plans." Aizen said and grabbed his communication device, which surprisingly works even in hell. He then gave Kisuke a short summary of what they found and who they're coming with and the shopkeeper gave an affirmative but from the sound of things, he had his hands full. Maybe the sinners have attacked while they were gone

Ichigo soon came back with Grimmjow and Dordoni. With the help of the horsemen, he was able to break their chains. However, this also caused the skulls on Ichigo and Aizen's body to disappear which did not go unnoticed

"We should go. WIthout those skulls, the kushanadas are gonna label you as intruders." Nozomi said and quickly turned the distortion into a gateway. They all soon left after that, now joined by the two arrancars

**-World of the Living-**

Since the horsemen were completely aware of every single detail about the distortion, they were able to open it directly in karakura town even though there is no distortion there. When they arrived, they saw that it had become a warzone with many dead all over the place. Based on his senses, Ichigo could tell that most of the townspeople have fled and that not even the authorities can do anything. It wasn't surprising as none of them can see spirits. Without wasting too much time, they quickly made their way to the Urahara shop where they found the owner fending off some ghouls that he easily dispatched

"Hey, Ichigo. I take it these are your guests then." Kisuke greeted as he noticed them all approach

"What's going on, Kisuke?" Ichigo asked as he released a getsuga at another wave of ghouls coming their wave, killing them all instantly

"Just a few hours after you left, the sinners have attacked and they seem to want to keep us away from the mountains." Kisuke said before deciding to break the news to Ichigo. "There is one more thing you should know, Ichigo. Orihime's been killed."

**-Royal Palace-**

As his enemies were busy fighting the sinners, the soul king just sat on a throne he recently made. "The end is near my treacherous sons. What a shame you'll be unable to see it." he mused to himself

* * *

**Here is the chapter I've been teasing so much. It took quite a while as I literally had to reread what I wrote to see if anything overlaps and most of the time I was writing this, I had a splitting headache. There might be a few things that overlaps or loopholes and this is probably the first chapter I'm gonna have to redo if a number of loopholes are found and must be explained in this chapter and not a future one**

**Just to avoid confusion, the basics is soul king and family shaped the world life flourishes war firstborn and horsemen sealed away, creation of hell original world turned into the three worlds Yhwach's war present day. I probably missed a few but that's the basics. I decided not to give that much details on the soul king's motives because this was already long as it is. I could do one but I wanna finish the story as soon as I can. I also decided to change up whatever origin story in the novels or in the brave souls games because I have almost zero idea on the lore from those things**

**About the power levels, I wrote Ichigo to be potentially more powerful than the horsemen individually but the key word is potentially as at this point, he is not that powerful. If none of the horsemen or royal family use their godlike powers, Ichigo can defeat them but for now, he can't so keep that in mind. I also chose not to reveal what the firstborn's plans to stop his father just yet because that would ruin the ending**

**I should point this out in case it wasn't that clear. The ambient spirit energy is a combination of pure spirit energy of the present time and reishi. I could call it something else but for the sake of simplicity, I just left it as ambient. After the firstborn was sealed, the pure energy was removed and only reishi was left. If you have anymore questions just ask and I'll try to answer them unless it really warrants me to provide another explanation in a future chapter. Speaking of explanations, I didn't explain too much about the sinners because this was already getting too long**

**And yeah, I killed Orihime. Let's be real. It's nothing but pure plot armor that she survived the entire story in the canon. If anyone was serious about waging war with Ichigo's allies then she should be a high priority target for a long term war. Besides, with her personality, she shouldn't even be part of a story where a life or death battle happens every five freaking minutes. I have no idea why she was even in the canon in the first place. Maybe Kubo just wanted to drive us insane with her screaming Ichigo's name**

**That's about it for now. Don't be afraid to ask alright**


	60. Chapter 59

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Fifty Nine - Farewell, Friends**

**-Karakura Town-**

"Just a few hours after you left, the sinners have attacked and they seem to want to keep us away from the mountains." Kisuke said before deciding to break the news to Ichigo. "There is one more thing you should know, Ichigo. Orihime's been killed."

Ichigo frowned at this and everyone who came back with him from him noticed the murderous aura he was suddenly releasing. Even the horsemen became slightly intimidated because they knew better than to underestimate Ichigo and none of them were particularly confident in taking him on if he turns into a hollow. "What happened?" he asked with his eyes now turned to black

Kisuke immediately saw that the hybrid was in no mood for crap and this was not how he wanted his reunion with Ichigo to go at all. "Well..." he trailed off and Ichigo's murderous aura only got stronger at the shopkeeper's hesitation

_Flashback, a few hours ago_

_Since at this point, Shuren and the other sinners were aware or considered the possibility that Kokuto was dead. As such, total command of their army fell to Shuren due to being the second in command of Kokuto, not that he didn't already have command since he was the one barking orders to everyone. The sinners were still paranoid about being suddenly pulled back to hell but they didn't let that stop them. Instead, Shuren decided to play the long game and if they were ever pulled back, then they'll simply have to return again. Of course, this would be a lot easier said than done. If he was serious about playing this war in the long run, then he would have to target the most vital of targets in the world of the living, Orihime Inoue. He arrived at this conclusion as one of the lieutenants, namely Tetsuzaemon, was grumbling about Ichigo and his allies and how Orihime's healing could have helped them. Shuren managed to overhear this when he passed through that area and thus decided that she should be the highest priority target so he specifically instructed Kariya to kill her before anything else. The reasoning for this is her healing ability. Shuren personality interrogated the lieutenant and in his blind anger, he let it slip about her powers. With this information, Shuren ordered her killed and the army to distract Ichigo's allies. Mue was to do the search in the area where Ichigo once stayed while Jai would take command of the army to distract them_

_At daybreak a few hours after Ichigo and Aizen left for hell, three senkaimons suddenly opened and they were immediately detected by Kisuke's radar thing. The shopkeeper quickly contacted everyone and since it was only daybreak, they weren't that ready since they were still either asleep or just woke up to get their day started_

_The sinner army immediately began slaughtering the townspeople at random. Many of the humans thought it was the apocalypse and that was for good reason. People were getting killed without any reason as to how, to the humans anyway. At that same time, a small part of their three and a half thousand troops began searching the forest while a few of this small group remained behind as sentries in case anyone wanders too close to their operations here_

_When most of the townspeople began to leave, some of the army just let them while many decided to capture them and use them as hostages or just meat shields. Many of the buildings were quickly destroyed by the sinners rampage_

_The first ones to respond to this was Isshin. He quickly exited the house and used that forcefield Kisuke made to ensure his daughters were safe. The sinner army quickly closed in on his location but he merely sliced them all up with his getsuga. Just when it seemed he would be forced to engage them in close quarters combat, Bambietta and Candice arrived to help him and they quickly disposed of the army coming right at them_

_At that same time however, Uryu decided to rendezvous with Chad and Orihime. It wasn't a surprising choice as those two are not particularly good fighters, at least on the level of their current opponents. As Orihime was en route to their rendezvous location, someone suddenly appeared right in front of her and judging from his spiritual pressure, he was a sinner_

_"Who are you?" Orihime asked as she took a defensive stance_

_"My name is Jin Kariya. I apologize for this but I have been given my orders." Kariya replied calmly_

_Orihime immediately knew what the order was and quickly summoned Tsubaki to attack first. It did nothing as Tsubaki was suddenly sliced up when he got too close. "Tsubaki!" she yelled out_

_"What was that?" Kariya asked curiously before he suddenly summoned the hilt of a sword. Orihime was quickly put up her barrier but she was a second too slow. Kariya already flashed behind her and run her through right in the chest. "As I said, I apologize for this but Shuren wants to play the long game."_

_While Uryu and Chad were running to meet each other, they suddenly felt someone intercept Orihime. The quincy quickly used hirenkyaku to move about faster but he was a moment too late. When he arrived, Orihime had already been run through_

_"Orihime! Get away from her!" Uryu demanded and moved to engaged Kariya with his seele schneider. Since he was also training ever since they last saw Ichigo, he was a better swordsman now even though archery is still his preferred method of fighting_

_Kariya quickly used his wind powers to kill Orihime once and for all by having it blast a hole in her chest. Unlike the time when Ulquiorra did this to Ichigo, this one had a lot of blood spewing forth. The bount then quickly engaged the quincy. However, he had no idea what the powers of this quincy was. Suddenly, he felt an energy blast directed right at him and quickly sidestepped to dodge. Since the blast came directly behind him and that Uryu was right in front, this also forced the quincy to dodge otherwise it would end up in friendly fire_

_"Orihime!" Chad called out as he saw his mortally wounded friend_

_Seizing this opportunity, Kariya quickly grabbed a few metal poles and threw it at the mortally wounded girl, forcing both of her friends to protect her in the last bit of hope she would survive. This allowed the bount to make his escape, his task completed_

_The two who shielded their wounded friend cradled her fallen body but it was too late. Her life has finally left her. The two then decided to bring her body to Urahara's shop, who's owner was busy fending off the sinner army without too much trouble_

Present Day

"I see. So that's what happened?" Ichigo said with a frown as he looked at the town. Many buildings were already destroyed. "Where are the others now?"

"Starrk and Harribel came here a few minutes after the sinners attacked and they helped us fend them off. Ginjo and Tsukishima decided to escort as many townspeople out while the quincies held off the assault. About four hours ago, we finally got rid of the army in the town and we launched a counter attack at the mountains, which became their stronghold. Your father, Ryuken and Kukaku led the counter attack. The quincies, arrancars and fullbringers joined in on the assault once they were done mopping up. Shiroganehiko, Koganehiko and Ganju are at your house right now protecting your sister as Bambietta and Candice joined in on the assault." Kisuke answered and noticed Ichigo looking at the direction where the sinners are. "Just leave it to them Ichigo."

"What? You can't expect me to stay here." Ichigo argued back

"I don't but honestly, I think you need some rest. Let us do our part in this war. You can't expect to do everything alone." Kisuke argued back in a serious tone that even Ichigo noticed

Ultimately, Ichigo decided to give in. It would be pointless to argue with the shopkeeper especially now of all times. "Where is she?" he asked

"Inside." Kisuke said before looking off somewhere. "Tessai, Jinta, Ururu, can you hold the sinners of if any more comes in? Ichigo's here." he yelled out

"Sure thing boss." Tessai's voice came from somewhere not visible, causing Ichigo as to how he heard Kisuke's voice judging from the distance he was at

"Let's go." Kisuke said and led the way inside with Ichigo following suit

"What do we do?" Gin asked as the two left, most likely to mourn their fallen friend

"We wait. There's nothing more to do unless Isshin or the others reports something." Aizen said and they all went inside the shop

At the mountains, southern side

Ginjo and Tsukishima were making their way towards where the battles were happening. They were the last to arrive as they have had their hands full getting the people out

"Ginjo, where are you?" Yoruichi asked through the comms

"We're still gonna be quite some time away. Helping those people out is not an easy task." Ginjo answered and Yoruichi merely growled as that was not what she wanted to hear

"We're at the southern end, Yoruichi. There's not that many guards in this area. It shouldn't take that long for us to rendezvous." Tsukishima quickly answered

"Alright. Forget rendezvousing with us. Just pick off any stragglers. We're already pushing them back." Yoruichi instructed

"Understood." Tsukishima said. The two of them went up to find some higher ground so they could get a better visual

Meanwhile, nearly the quincies and soul reapers were fighting their way towards the mountains. They encountered a large resistance as this was after all, where the sinners entered the town from so it's only natural most of their army would be stationed here. Luckily for them, Kukaku's explosives and Bambietta's powers slaughtered them group by group but the gargoyles did put some pressure on them

"This sucks. Where is their commander?" Candice asked as she shot down gargoyles

"We'll never know if we keep this up. We'll have to push forward. I'm sure these are only the guards." Askin said as he quickly poisoned a large group coming from behind them

Kukaku launched more of her explosive fireworks, blowing up another group. The sinner army was really large even though the ones they were fighting now was significantly less than the ones that attacked town

"What do we do? Their numbers alone are holding us back? We might get overrun if this keeps up like this." Meninas pointed out as he cut down some ghouls attacking them

Isshin realized the pink haired girl had a point. Even though they were obviously stronger than the sinner army, their numbers is slowly chipping away at them. "Alright, here's the plan. Meninas, Bambietta, Yoruichi, Askin, all of you carve a path and focus only on one direction. Everyone else, cover their flanks and ensure they don't get hit. The strongest spiritual pressure is still quite a distance away. I'm sure that's where we'll find the commander of this army." he ordered

"You heard the man. Let's go." Bambietta yelled before blowing up a large army that was coming and quickly led the charge. The other three quickly followed and when the gargoyles showed up to ambush them, Candice quickly shot them down

"What about us?" Candice asked as she provided cover for her comrades

"We'll catch up with them." Isshin said and called out to the four. "You guys take out the commander. We'll deal with the army."

The four quickly nodded at this before speeding their way, completely slicing through any dullahans and ghouls standing in their way. When some of the dullahans got creative and began throwing their weapons or the trees at them, Bazz B quickly caught up to the four and provided flame cover for them. "Go. I'll cover you." he yelled out and incinerated the army nearby before running behind the four

"Ulquiorra, where are you?" Isshin asked as his group were now on the move

"We're on the eastern side. We've encountered significant resistance." Ulquiorra said as he, the other arrancars and Giselle's army were fighting their way

"Copy that. I take it you feel where the strongest spiritual pressure is?" Isshin asked and got a confirmative response. "Meet us there."

"Very well." Ulquiorra said before blasting an army with his cero

"I swear, these guys are endless." Starrk complained as he shot cero after cero

"Well, that means more zombies for me." Giselle said happily as she quickly raised the fallen sinners as her own army

"Can you hurry that up? We're gonna get overwhelmed if this keeps up. This army is so damn large." Liltotto complained as she fired her arrows at them

"We'll have to make our way up the mountain. It's not gonna be easy." Harribel said as she looked at Giselle. "Just keep creating more zombies. We might need them even after this battle."

"Roger that." Giselle said happily

"Let's go. We won't get anywhere talking." Nel said and sliced up a small group of ghouls with a single slash before leading the way

"Liltotto, protect her while she creates her army." Harribel instructed and followed the green haired arrancar's lead

Eventually Nel came across someone different from the army. He was wearing some sort of green suit and blocked her path

"Well, well, what do we have here? A lost arrancar?" the man said before giving a lecherous smirk. "I am Jai of the twelve apostiles."

Nel didn't even bother to respond as she quickly engaged him. Jai was quickly forced to draw his chakrams to block but Nel quickly forced him back. For whatever reason, she wanted to end this fight as soon as possible. Then again, that shouldn't be surprising as everyone would want to end their fights quickly unless your name was Kenpachi Zaraki. She quickly switched to hand to hand combat when her first blow was blocked. The sinner was surprised at the green haired arrancar's fighting style that it left him open for a moment, which Nel quickly took advantage of and tried to cut him down. Jai barely managed to block this one and created seven duplicates of his chakram and they all transformed to look like him. Instead of being surprised at this, Nel merely smirked, confusing the sinner who just attacked nonetheless

His answer as to why Nel smirked soon came when three other arrancars suddenly arrived and cut all seven duplicates down near instantly. It was only then that Jai knew he was screwed. Nel was obviously aware that they were roughly equals in terms of spiritual pressure and instead of trying to fight him one on one, she merely decided to buy herself a bit of time for her comrades to get here since they got caught up with more of the sinner army. Now it was four to one and there was no way Jai was gonna win this and he quickly turned around to try and leave but it didn't work as an arrow was suddenly shot right in front of his path, causing him to stop. He looked at where it came from and saw a blonde haired quincy standing on the branch of a tree. He attempted to throw his chakram at her but it was knocked off course by another arrow, courtesy of Giselle who was catching up to them

"About time you arrived." Nel said to her comrades

"Hey, you suddenly bolted and more sinners arrived. Don't blame us for this." Starrk said in their defense

"He's right, Nelliel. However, it was a wise move to just delay him." Harribel said and with that, all four arrancars attacked Jai, who was helpless as he was quickly cut down

"Let's move." Ulquiorra said as they finished killing the apostle and was the one leading the way this time

While Isshin and his group were fighting their way, Chad suddenly felt a very familiar spiritual pressure, one that he wanted to meet sometime soon. Uryu also noticed this as well as his friend's frown. Before he could stop him, Chad quickly rushed away to find and kill the source of spiritual pressure, Jin Kariya

"Chad!" Uryu yelled but was too late, Chad already left. "Damn it." he said and quickly followed

"What was that about?" Cang Du asked as the two left

"I wonder..." Yoruichi trailed off

"What is it Yoruichi?" Kukaku asked curiously

"I think Chad's going after the one that killed Orihime." Yoruichi answered

"Do we go after them?" Cang Du asked before more ghouls suddenly appeared. "Guess not."

"We'll have to force our way through. We'll just get surrounded if we let our guard down. These things are endless." Isshin said as he released a getsuga tensho

"Don't worry about them. Uryu should be more than capable of handling it." Ryuken said. A surprising choice of words given his personality

Meanwhile, Kariya noticed that his two preys from earlier were coming from him. Judging from the distance they had to each other, one was being reckless and the other wasn't and that caused the bount to smirk. It didn't take that long for Chad to arrive and fire his el directo at him, which the bount merely sidestepped to dodge. Speed was never Chad's thing and considering the gap in power between him and the bount he was facing, that was gonna be an issue

"You!" Chad said and fired another el directo but this time, Karyia merely summoned the wind around him to block it

"Are you really that upset about me killing her?" Kariya taunted

"Calm down, Chad." Uryu said as he finally caught up. "Fighting him recklessly will only get you killed."

"You should listen to your friend. It will not end well for you." Kariya said. He didn't want this to be too easy for him

"But, Uryu. Orihime..." Chad trailed off as he glared at the bount

"I know but we have to be smart if we fight him." Uryu responded when suddenly, Kariya flashed behind them. Uryu was able to keep track of his movements and was successfully able to move away but Chad on the other hand, was not so fortunate and he was stabbed right through his abdomen. "Chad!" Uryu yelled but he couldn't really fire an arrow as Chad was in the way. If he did then he would only end up injuring his friend, or worse, kill him

Chad forced himself to recover from the attack and transformed his left hand. He then tried to punch the bount but Kariya merely stepped back to dodge before kicking the teen, causing him to cough up blood

Uryu saw an opening and quickly fired an arrow. This did score a direct hit on Kariya and forced him back before he could do any more to Chad. However, Kariya quickly recovered and instead of toying with his opponents, he decided to end this quickly and like with Orihime, he flashed behind Chad and stabbed him right in the chest before blowing a hole in it with a massive volume of wind

"Chad!" Uryu said as this was the second friend that he lost in only a small timespan

"Sorry about this but I just can't afford to be distracted. Now then." Kariya said as he looked at Uryu

The two of them then engaged in a sword fight but it was mostly going nowhere. They were both trying to reveal the other's power but to no success. Uryu was a much more capable fighter than Chad and was more than able to keep his emotions in check. The same was also true for Kariya. While he was more prone to getting annoyed, that was it. It would rarely go beyond that. Because neither was giving it their all at the moment, they were evenly matched. Every blow they send would end up getting parried while any ranged attack would end up being blocked or dodged. All the while Uryu was trying to figure out why Kariya only had the handle of a sword but is somehow able to stab people. His working theory was it had something to do with the air as that was the only explanation given the only other evidence is any ranged attacked would get knocked off course or outright crushed

Kariya noticed his opponent put two and two together. He could just go for the kill as soon as he could but that might end up backfiring. He didn't even reveal that he could send out wind blasts because he was sure that would be enough for the four eyed quincy to find out what the bount's true powers were

"Come on, quincy. Are you ever gonna get serious?" Kariya taunted

"Unlike you, I'm being cautious. I don't want to reveal my powers at the wrong moment." Uryu answered with narrowed eyes as he spared a glance at Chad, who was barely alive at this point and from the looks of things, he won't be alive much longer if he doesn't get help

"That's a good thing. It's nice to see someone who would think before doing something. I find those kind of people to be worthy of respect." Kariya complimented him

"I don't need your compliments." Uryu retorted angrily. It was understandable as Kariya killed not one but two of his friends, well one wasn't dead, yet

At this point however, Kariya knew something was off. Why did the quincy in front of him just stop attacking like that. It puzzled him as now they were only having a stand off. He quickly turned around, sword at the ready and it was a good thing as Yoruichi suddenly came out of nowhere and tried to cut him down

"You must be Yoruichi Shihoin, am I right?" Kariya asked as they were in a sword lock. "I am Jin Kariya."

"Interesting you know who I am." Yoruichi said and pushed the bount away. Uryu quickly took this chance and attacked from behind

Kariya noticed this and turned around to parry but this left his back open to Yoruichi, which she gladly took advantage of and slashed him across his back. As he reeled from the backstab, Uryu quickly stabbed him through his abdomen with one of his seele schneider

"This is for Orihime and Chad." Uryu said angrily but it didn't work

Kariya was far from done and quickly used his wind powers to force both of his opponents away. The moment he did, he quickly took out the seele schneider from his torso before using his wind powers to completely slice up the nearby trees, forcing Yoruichi and Uryu to dodge the incoming debris

"I knew it. His power is to manipulate the wind." Uryu said in realization as he dodged the debris

"It is. Too bad for you, you realized it too late." Kariya said before increasing the wind's strength, causing even more debris to fly everywhere. This gave him the chance to escape. "While I would relish the chance to fight you again, quincy, Yoruichi Shihoin, fighting two on one is just not my style. Until next we meet." he said and promptly left as the two were busy dodging. He went a good distance away from any spiritual pressure before opening a senkaimon. As one of the commanders of this assault, he had access to a device that would allow access to the senkaimon so he could travel between the soul society and the world of the living. At this point, the only thing he hoped was that Mue had already located what they were supposed to be looking for. There is no way Shuren would be pissed off at him since he did his job, to assassinate Orihime, perfectly

When the bount left, Yoruichi and Uryu tended to Chad, who was now dead. Not only was a hole blasted through his chest, the injuries he received was compounded by the debris

"Chad, hang in there." Uryu said as he rushed to his body but like with Orihime, it was too late. He was gone. All his injuries finally caught up and his life finally left him

"I'm sorry, Uryu." Yoruichi said sadly as she put a hand on his shoulder

"I'll take him to the shop." Uryu said. The werecat wanted to object as they still had a job to do but ultimately decided to let him as things could turn out much worse if Uryu becomes distracted by it. It was at this point that it became clear, despite the difference in power between the army and them, the sinners were not enemies to be underestimated and that the threat they posed even surpassed that of Yhwach's wandenreich even with the lack of that many notable fighters

At this point, even though Ichigo has returned from hell for quite some time, the shopkeeper chose not to tell anyone so as to not distract them

When Jai and Kariya were engaged however, Bambietta, Meninas, Askin finally made it to where Mue was, which was the waterfall that hid the entrance to the quincies' original empire. By now, Yoruichi had already separated from them as she went to help Uryu when she felt Chad's spiritual pressure drop significantly

"What is this place?" Meninas wondered as she admired the waterfall

"Keep your guard up." Askin said as he killed more sinners who jumped from the top of the waterfall

"It seems we are in the right place. The only question is, where exactly is the source of this spiritual pressure?" Bambietta said as she tried to look for anyone that isn't a ghoul, dullahan or gargoyle before eyeing the waterfall itself. Before her two fellow quincies could ask what was on her mind, she fired an explosive blast at the waterfall. Surprisingly, the explosion revealed a cave behind it. "There you are." she said

"How did you know to do that, Bambi?" Meninas asked curiously

"I didn't. I only took that chance because there is no way we would end up near a cool looking waterfall. Besides, as Kisuke said before, everything we once now is now being completely questioned. I suppose even a waterfall counts as one." Bambietta said before moving. "Let's go find the bastard and kill him."

"Hold up there, girl." Askin said as he and Meninas ran up to her

Inside, the trio were amazed. They never even suspected a place like this ever existed yet here they are. Aside from the obvious mess due to being abandoned, it was still a fine place. The only problem was where exactly in this massive castle was the sinner's commander

"It seems this area is only the entrance. We would have to go down these corridors to find their commander." Askin commented as he observed the castle

"I know. This is gonna be a problem. These corridors could lead anywhere. Even if we can sense the spiritual pressure, we don't have the slightest clue as to where it leads." Meninas agreed

As if on cue, a dagger was suddenly thrown at their direction from one of the corridors. They noticed it come and the three were able to dodge. At least now they didn't have to do the search as the source suddenly came out

"I am Mue, one of the twelve apostles and I really don't like having my objectives interrupted." the guy introduced himself as he walked out of the corridor

"Yeah, well, get used to it. We're killing you one way or another." Bambietta said before quickly engaging the sinner in combat

"At least introduce yourself." Mue complained as he parried the blow

"Not our style, anymore, at least." Askin responded as he flashed behind the sinner

Mue quickly pushed Bambietta away before parrying Askin's blow and Meninas took advantage of the opening and fired an arrow, scoring a hit. Bambietta wanted to just fire an explosive blast but she couldn't. If she did then she would bring down the whole ceiling on top of them all. Sure the ceiling looked high quality but it wouldn't be standing up to that much explosions so instead, she was forced to fight with nothing but swordsmanship

Meninas and Askin quickly realizd their compatriot's dilemma and without so much as saying a word, the resolved to end this quickly. Since it was three on one, dispatching this one shouldn't be too much of a problem. Mue was aware of this and knew the odds were stacked against him. The only option he had was to try and quickly kill them one at a time

Realizing this, Mue quickly detached the thick part of his blade and launched it at Bambietta, who was pushed back as she blocked it. The other two were surprised when it was revealed that underneath that thick blade, there was a thin multi segmented blade. The segments were then separated as well. When Meninas and Askin blocked it, the segments suddenly exploded, much to their surprise. This was his one opening and Mue quickly took advantage of the momentarily distraction. As he moved to engage the three quincies, it also became clear that this presented an opening for him to escape. Since it was obvious that he would be no match in a three on one fight, he made a run for the doors of the castle. Unfortunately for him, Bambietta quickly caught on to his plan. Since she was aiming at the exit, it was safe for her to use her explosive powers and fired an explosive blast at him, forcing him to dodge. When he turned around, he saw Bambietta charging at him and had to parry otherwise he was gonna be cut in two

"Nice try, sinner but you're not escaping that easily." Bambietta said with a smirk and caused Mue to frown

At this point, Askin and Meninas have already recovered from the distraction and moved to re engage the sinner. Askin stood at the door, thereby guaranteeing no escape while the two girls ganged up on the sinner. Neither Bambietta nor Meninas were holding back despite the former not using her powers. Meninas used her own powers and began overpowering the sinner due to her superior strength and forced him on the defensive. Bambietta also took this chance to engage from the sides and inflict some minor wounds

Eventually, Mue was overwhelmed and had to use his one last trick. He detached the blade from the hilt with the only thing connecting the two parts was a cable before causing the guard to explode. This proved to be a mistake as even though it clouded the vision of the two girls, it did not cloud Askin's he wasn't engaging him at the moment. This left him wide open which Askin quickly took advantage of and fired an arrow right to one of his leg, nearly blowing it off before flashing in front of him and cutting him in two using his sword

"At least that's over with." Bambietta commented as she noticed Askin finish off their prey. "Isshin, this is Bambietta. We have located the commander of this army. He's dead, for now anyway."

"That's good. We're just about finished mopping up. Let's meet up at the shop once we're done." Isshin said and the others gave a nod of understanding as he also relayed it to the others as well

"What's up? Done already?" Bazz B said as he approached the three of them

"Yeah, it's not like he would be much of a challenge considering it was three on one." Meninas commented

"Whatever. Let's finish up here and head back to the shop." Meninas said calmly

The arrancars also gave an affirmative response when Isshin told them they were just about done as by then, they, along with Yoruichi mentioned that they engaged some of the twelve apostles

Uryu was the only one not to respond to any of these message and for good reason. He arrived at the shop while the others were still engaging the massive sinner army. He was rather surprised to find Ichigo already having returned and once the hybrid layed eyes on another fallen friend, everyone immediately noticed his murderous intent as now, the hollowfication marks suddenly appeared very quickly. It took quite a while for him to calm down and when he did, Kisuke decided to give them both a proper burial but to their surprise, Ichigo chose not to attend the burial

Nearly an hour later, everyone regrouped at the shop. The entire sinner army has been routed and they only suffered minor injuries, minus Chad who got killed. When they arrived, they were surprised to see Ichigo along with some guests which they figured to be the horsemen. By now, proper burials have finally been given to the two fallen friends. Surprisingly, even the quincies showed some sympathy even though they weren't particularly close with the two who had died. However, all them were aware of the murderous intent that Ichigo emitted and for good reason. Eventually though, they rested up and met in the underground training room

"Who are your guests, Ichigo?" Ulquiorra asked, as usual not bothering to ask the newcomers. The only ones he recognized was Grimmjow, who was glaring at him, and Dordoni, who just stared how his fellow arrancars were in league with the quincies now

Introductions soon happened and when that was done, the horsemen gave a summary of what happened in the past and what was happening now. To say that they were all surprised would be an understatement

"Are you serious?!" Bambietta asked in complete shock

"I'm afraid so. The part of the world that is starting to disappear was specifically chosen by the soul king to avoid your attention even though the sinners already had your focus." Nozomi said sadly

"What do we do? We can't just sit here and do nothing." Nel said adamantly

"We'll have to go to the royal palace and try to stop it there. It is where it began after all." Zhakuro answered with a frown

"Hold on a minute." Kisuke said and got everyone's attention. "Something about this bothers me. You said that two of the schutzstaffel were apparitions of the soul king. Why didn't he just pull them back after receiving the powers from Yhwach?"

"Because if the soul king did that, Yhwach would immediately know and since it wasn't his power, my brother would realize he was tricked and would pull the power back to him, forcing father to return to square one. As such, he had to wait until the time was right before pulling the apparitions back otherwise it would set him back decades, or even centuries." Zhakuro answered and the shopkeeper finally understood

"Back to the matter at hand, what about the sinners? We can't obviously leave them around while we try to fight the soul king." Ginjo pointed out

The horsemen and Aizen then, for whatever reason, looked at Ichigo as if expecting something from him. The others, save for Ichigo, caught on as to why and also looked at him

"What?" Ichigo asked, confused at their behaviors

"What should we do? We already have the plans to end but we can't leave one enemy hanging." Starrk pointed out

"And you're asking me why?" Ichigo asked, growing even more confused

"Because you are the one responsible for getting us together." Candice answered and further confused the hybrid. "Think about it, Ichigo. All of us once considered the other as enemies and a threat to our very existence. However, you gave us the chance to meet each other on a personal level and we realized that not everyone is the same. If it wasn't for you, we'd probably end up being easy prey for the sinners."

"She's right, Ichigo. You're actions have allowed us to reconsider our views on everyone. Make no mistake, none of us would even be allies right now if it wasn't for your actions. As such, you should be the one we follow." Harribel added and everyone nodded at this. The hybrid was surprised at this as never in his wildest dreams did he ever think it would end up like this

"I agree with them." Aizen said before looking at the hybrid. "Ichigo, you are probably the first one in history to be born with the powers of a hollow, quincy and soul reaper. A being that is completely unnatural and as such, you are the only one who can live on the worlds of all three beings."

Not a single one even objected to this statement. It was really true. Ichigo's actions during the war against the wandenreich was the only reason why beings who were previously enemies are now fighting side by side against a common enemy. Even the quincies were in full support of this. What was really surprising was that Grimmjow didn't even complain about it. After a while, Ichigo finally gave in

"Zhakuro, what else do we need to know?" Ichigo asked

"Well, at this point, the barriers separating the soul society from the royal palace would be far stronger than ever but I should be able to get us entry there however, it must be done at a high enough elevation." Zhakuro answered

Ichigo immediately thought of one place that fit the requirement perfectly. "Would sokyoku hill suffice?"

After hearing the question, Zhakuro used his powers to see what the soul society looked like, at least before it was taken over by the sinners. "Yes, that will be more than enough but I won't be able to take that many of us to the palace all at once."

Ichigo thought about this for a few moments before coming up with a plan, one that would both deal with the sinners and the soul king. This wasn't exactly something he was used to doing. "Kisuke, can your senkaimon exit towards sokyoku hill directly?"

"No but I can do something similar. I can set it to open at the location of a specific person but that will take quite a bit of time to tinker around." Kisuke answered

"Alright do it. So here's the plan. Me, AIzen, Zhakuro and the horsemen will go take down the soul king. The rest of you engage the sinners. When we arrive, I want the quincies to create a distraction along with the arrancars. Engage as many sinners as you can. Me and AIzen will make a b line for sokyoku hill once the battles start. Kisuke, Yorucihi, dad, I want you to stay here with the horsemen." Ichigo said

"What? You want us to stay out of the fight?" Yoruichi asked curiously

"No. I want the horsemen to save their strength for the final battle. If they really were gods back in the day, then it's safe to assume the soul king has done something to the royal guard. As such, I want them to save their strength for that battle. Once Aizen and I have secured sokyoku hill, open the senkaimon there and we'll hold the line until Zhakuro is able to take us to the palace. If you're absolutely sure that there is no one left to threaten the town, then come join the battles." Ichigo answered. "Before anything else, I will do some scouting first to make some changes to our main plan."

"So divide and conquer then?" Bazz B wanted clarification

"Yes. It's our only choice. We can't afford to waste too much of our strength going to the palace and we can't leave the sinners alone since it is where they have their main base of operations." Ichigo answered before looking around. "Any objections?" he asked and received none. Everyone seemed cool with this plan. So, Ichigo decided to look at the shopkeeper. "Kisuke, how long will it take you adjust the senkaimon?"

"About three or four hours but I still need someone for it to target to." Kisuke answered

"I see. Set it to track Aizen's spiritual pressure." Ichigo said and Aizen didn't really complain

"Alright, Ichigo." Kisuke said and moved to began working with Aizen following him

"Anyway, is there a way to see the disappearance? I wanna see it myself." Bambietta asked out loud, not fully trusting the horsemen's words

Ichigo released his shikai and much to everyone's surprise, he released some flames that took on the shape of a giant four legged dragon. "There is no way to travel on foot as mentioned, there is no reishi after some distance away. You can climb on the dragon and ride it. It would also allow me the chance to see it myself."

Bambietta grew amused at this as it wasn't everyday you see a dragon. "So, who's coming with?" she asked with a grin

"I will." Candice said with her own grin as she followed her friend

"I'll come as well. Maybe we can find something out." Ginjo said and Yoruichi followed him. There was more than enough space for the four of them on the flaming dragon. They were even surprised that the dragon didn't burn them despite obviously made out of flame. However, it was too large to fit through the entrance so it presented a problem. To their surprise, it merely changed it shape into a long serpent before it suddenly rushed outside. The four of them quickly followed the creature outside and they found it reverted to its dragon form, waiting for them. Taking the cue, they quickly mounted it before flying towards Brazil

"What about the distortions in this world?" Askin asked curiously

"Don't seal it yet." Ichigo said, surprising everyone so he quickly explained why. "We might need an entrypoint to hell if we survive this to finish the sinners off once and for all. In the meantime, I will travel to the soul society and try to find a distortion. If I do find one, seal this world off from hell."

"I will come with you. It shouldn't be difficult for me." Nozomi offered and Ichigo nodded in understanding

"Speaking of soul society, what do we do with the soul reapers?" Liltotto pointed out

Ichigo thought about this for a moment but Ulquiorra beat him to the punch

"If they are with the sinners, kill them. If not, then let them help but keep a close eye on them. The slightest suspicion of them turning on us, kill them immediately." Ulquiorra said

"In the meantime, we'll ready the hollows to aid us in the assault." Harribel said before looking at one of the female quincies. "Giselle, help us with this. The more troops we have the better." she said and left for hueco mundo along with said quincy

"Then I guess we'll just have to try and help along if we can." Meninas commented

"I could use your help. I think I can come up with something to help with distracting the sinners." Kukaku said before looking at Ichigo. "Hey, kid. How do you plan to create the distraction?"

"My abilities allowed me to hide from plain sight." Ichigo answered simply

"Perfect. So, if anyone wanna help me, get your ass over here." Kukaku said as he began walking towards a certain area. At this, everyone left to do their jobs with Ichigo opening a garganta, heading straight for the soul society. Before he could enter, Uryu walked up to him and motioned that he wanted to talk in private

"What is it, Uryu?" Ichigo asked curiously

"Why didn't you attend the burial? Do you not care about us anymore?" Uryu asked, annoyed at Ichigo's action

"I don't have time for that." Ichigo said coldly

"No time for that? Ichigo, what are you...?" Uryu began to ask but was cut off

"Let me ask you something, Uryu. If I stop to mourn them, would the sinners also stop what they're doing? Would the disappearance stop?" Ichigo argued back. Uryu couldn't really argue with that. "I can't let myself get too distracted. You should know by now that there is much more at stake than before." he said sadly before heading to the garganta he opened, where Nozomi was waiting

At the soul society, Ichigo was quickly greeted by the sight of another citadel

"It seems they made the seireitei into their own base of operations. It mirrors the Deathrise Citadel very well." Nozomi commented as she had a look around before looking into the distance, which Ichigo noticed

"What is it?" Ichigo asked curiously

"The distortion they came through. It's that way." Nozomi said and started to walk before she was stopped

"How do you know?" Ichigo asked as he was looking around

"When you spend enough time in hell, you can pretty much sense anything out of the ordinary. The atmostphere in hell is different from anywhere else as I'm sure you've noticed and I can sense that same feeling way over there." Nozomi explained

"I see." was Ichigo's simple response. Nozomi grew curious why that was his only answer but soon realized why. The rukongai district citizens were acting really strange

"It seems Shuren has taken over the minds of these people." Nozomi decided to shed some light on the topic

"Who?" Ichigo asked, not familiar with the name

"Shuren, Kokuto's second in command. He has the ability to force beings far weaker than himself to his control and by the looks of things, all of these citizens are under his control now." Nozomi answered. Since they were hidden among the trees, they really weren't spotted

"Then that means they'll present a problem. Great. Now we risk losing your passageway." Ichigo complained

"Don't sweat it. Even if the balance of souls is ruined, the precipice world wouldn't collapse instantly. Even if it did, then we'll simply travel using the garganta." Nozomi answered and got a curious look from Ichigo. "Come now, Ichigo. We once shaped this world remember. It's only natural that we know how to use the garganta." she said with a smile before putting one hand on his shoulder. "Ichigo, you need to understand something. All of us are in this war together. You're not alone in this while it's true that you're power separates you from your allies, you don't have to come up with everything yourself. The least the others can provide you is to help think up strategies, especially Kisuke Urahara."

"I guess that's true." Ichigo muttered

"Now, come on. Let's find that distortion." Nozomi said and led the way with Ichigo following suit

As they were walking, Ichigo suddenly grew curious about something. "Hey, Nozomi." he called out and the girl looked at him. "Why is it that you guys are called 'the four horsemen'?"

Nozomi merely rolled her eyes as the answer should be obvious by now especially on how Ichigo does things lately. "Just because we have that title doesn't mean you should take it literally. Horsemen could also refer to one's own generals and we were the ones directly under Zhakuro's command." she answered and Ichigo just had a dumb expression as to why he didn't realize it. "Also, we did ride the ancestors of today's horses before." she added

After scouting out the location and marking it, the duo went back and this time, Ichigo used his powers to hide them from plain sight. They scouted the sinners' citadel and knew this wasn't gonna be easy. I mean, if the horsemen joined the fight, it would but they might get caught up fighting the apostles and might lose some of the strength disposing of them. It seems that a distraction and a preemptive strike is gonna be necessary. Luckily, Kukaku decided to make something that would give them a slight edge. Ichigo only hoped that the hot headed Shiba would actually make something related to her specialty, fireworks or explosives. At least this little venture didn't complicate things that much

A few hours later, the duo finally returned to the shop as they finally realized some bit of information that might be useful. At this point, Bambietta and the others have also returned and Ichigo also saw the disappearance himself through his dragon creature

"So, Ichigo, any change in plans?" Tsukishima asked as they all gathered

"Just a minor complication. We'll have to slaughter the rukongai district citizens. They've fallen under the control of the sinners." Ichigo said grimly and surprised everyone

"But if we do that then won't we only accelerate the collapse of the worlds?" Liltotto pointed out but Nozomi soon explained why that wouldn't happen

"I see. So only the precipice world will collapse." Ryuken said before adopting a thoughtful expression. "Are you sure this is the only way?" he asked

"It is. It wouldn't be easy to find the one who is controlling them and it would take too much time. They also have another army guarding their base and it was even larger than the ones sent to hueco mundo." Ichigo answered

"I understand. So, any further changes?" Ryuken asked

"Just one. Gin, Tsukishima, Ginjo, Grimmjow, you're with me and Aizen. We'll head first and pick off any stragglers and the rukongai citizens." Ichigo said

"Any particular reason why you chose to do it like that?" Aizen asked curiously

"Well, it seems that some of the soul reapers are actually hiding in the wilderness and were slowly picking off any hunting parties. I don't exactly know who it is but by doing it this way, the sinners will think they're dealing with the same people." Ichigo explained

"That's a wise choice. And I guess that once that's over, we'll travel to the soul society to begin the attack." Ulquiorra said

"Indeed. While Aizen and the others pick off the sinners, I will sneak inside the citadel and place the stuff Kukaku made. Once your armies are close, I will activate it and cause explosions all over the seireitei and at this point, I will also open the gates." Ichigo answered

"Hell yeah! It's been a while since I have been on the hunt." Grimmjow said with ecstasy

"What about me?" Dordoni asked

"Go with the other arrancars." Ichigo simply answered

"That' seems good enough. So, when do we leave?" Starrk asked curiously

Ichigo looked at Kisuke for a bit and saw him still tinkering. Whether he was finished or just making sure it worked was beyond him. "We leave as soon as Kisuke finishes with the senkaimon." he answered before motioning for Aizen and Ulquiorra to talk with them in private

"What is it?" Ulquiorra asked curiously

"Keep a close eye on those three. Especially Gin." Ichigo instructed and for obvious reasons, they agreed to it

* * *

**Here is the next one. I had some stuff to do these last few days so this took quite a while to write**

**Yeah, I killed Chad as well. I'm gonna be honest. To me, Chad in the canon was just a random character added for a small part of the story but Kubo decided to keep him around. Considering the pace of my story, Chad doesn't exactly fit in and not to mention that in the canon, the only thing significant he managed to do was defeat one of the privaron arrancars. He barely had anything useful going for him after that. He just gets destroyed by just about anyone he fights. This is also the same reason why I made Tetsuzaemon like that. I never liked that guy and he seems to be even more of a filler character than an actual character**

**About Ichigo's actions of not attending the burial, well, that was exactly what he was told by his inner spirits. When it comes down to it, he can't afford to be distracted especially now. It's not really that good of a justification but the fact still stands that if he mourns his fallen friends or not, it won't change anything**

**I also decided not to drag on the fights between the apostles. I mean, they were gonna be outnumbered anyway so there is no way they would last that long. Regardless of how strong you are, if you're fighting multiple opponents with powers comparable to yours, you won't last long**

**That's about it I guess. Don't hate me that much because I killed two of Ichigo's friends**


	61. Chapter 60

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Sixty - The Final Battle I**

**-Soul Society-**

It was now about dusk when everything was ready. None of them were particularly bothered with doing the war at night. In fact, the sooner they get it done, the better

As planned, Ichigo, Aizen, Grimmjow, Gin, Tsukishima and Ginjo went on ahead to the soul society. They waited until the sun finally set and used the cover of the darkness to remain hidden. They even wore something to cover their faces as well as black clothing just to make them seem like they were the soul reapers. The moment the darkness of the night finally came, they all got ready to do their thing

"Alright, let's do this. Split up and pick off as many citizens as you can. I'll head inside the seireitei and place these explosives that Kukaku made." Ichigo instructed as he got up

"We won't be able to cover much ground though. The rukongai district is very large." Ginjo pointed out

"It doesn't matter. Our only goal would be to secure the area around the gates. That way, Giselle's and the hollow army won't get trapped outside the gates should the sinners manage to close it." Aizen responded

"So we just kill off the ones in a great enough area outside the gates?" Grimmjow asked

"Yes and try to minimize any explosions if you can. We don't want to draw attention, not yet anyway." Ichigo answered

"Okay then. Let's get this over with." Tsukishima said as he headed to one of the gates. The others too went to different directions

As they were all moving out, Ichigo used his powers to hide from plain sight before heading straight for the walls. "Just get into position and don't kill anyone until I have placed a couple charges." he instructed as he got inside the seireitei and got confirmative responses. It didn't take him that long to enter the seireitei. The first thing he did was get to the highest point, which was at the top of a tower made by the sinners. Since he had only five charges, he had to make each one count but as he was passing through the area, he felt that some of the reishi of those that died during the war against the wandenreich still linger in the area. This gave Ichigo the perfect secondary distraction but the fact still remained. There was still a very, very large number of gargoyles just hanging off the rooftops and they could prove to be a problem. Choosing the spots, Ichigo went inside the tower he was in and headed straight for its lowest point. He found the main foundation of the building after a few minutes of searching. "Alright. Secure the gates, now." he instructed through his comms, making sure no one can hear him as he placed a charge on the foundation

The other five quickly did as instructed. Grimmjow, Gin and AIzen went solo to one of the gates while as usual, Tsukishima paired up with Ginjo. Grimmjow was at the north gate, Gin to the south, Aizen to the west and the fullbringers at the eastern gate. With minimal effort, they began killing the unsuspecting citizens. For some reason, they didn't bother to fight back that hard, not that it would change the outcome. Then again, the cover of darkness and them being just regular souls would make it next to impossible to fight back

By now, Ichigo has already placed three charges. He was not a hundred percent sure those were the best spots but as long as it would draw attention away it would suffice. Then again, he had his backup plan, which would be an even bigger distraction than the charges. He quickly made his way through the citadel and placed the remaining charges at where the greatest concentration of soldiers were. He really didn't know which areas those were since he was never really that familiar with the seireitei given that he didn't visit it that much

While Aizen was about to secure the western gate, he saw something interesting, a hunting party was in this area. After some investigation, Aizen found who the soul reapers picking off the sinners were, Zaraki, Byakuya, Toshiro, Renji and Rukia. He contemplated his options for a bit and the only rush is that the others might finish their part. Just as he was about to approach them, he saw that they were spotted by the hunting party and decided to leave them be. Even they should be able to deal with a few ghouls and dullahans so Aizen decided to begin securing the western gate. For someone of his level of power, it didn't take him more than five minutes. Just his spiritual pressure alone was enough to kill most of them but he made sure to only get close to the citizens so as to not reveal his location. The moment he secured the gate, he went to check on the soul reapers and was rather amused at what he saw. Zaraki was not bothering to do anything while the other four were desperately trying not to use their powers and were somehow being pushed back

As Toshiro was about to be injured by a ghoul, some lightning bolts from a kido suddenly came their way and it quickly disposed off the hunting party

"What?" Toshiro asked in surprise and looked to where it came from. "You."

"Sosuke Aizen." Byakuya said with narrowed eyes as he too was shocked at what just happened. The other two were in similar state and even Zaraki joined in as things now grew interesting

"Well, what do we have here?" Zaraki said with a grin as Aizen approached

"It seems that you needed some help." Aizen said, smug as ever

"We don't need your help." Toshiro said venomously

"Oh really? Then how come the seireitei is still under the sinners' control?" Aizen retorted back with a smirk

The soul reapers were rendered silent at that response as it was a very good point

"What are you really doing here, Aizen?" Byakuya asked curiously as their former enemy was not doing anything

"Let's just say that for the second time, we have the same goals." Aizen said with a smirk. Before anyone could respond, someone suddenly flashed near their location, it was Ichigo

"Ichigo..." Rukia said in shock, fear now growing among all five of the soul reapers present

"What are you doing, Aizen?" Ichigo asked as he noticed them

"Why are you two back here after all this time?" Toshiro asked suspiciously. Each of the soul reapers got into a combat stance even though they were well aware that won't save them from the hybrid's wrath, not in the least

"To get rid of the sinners, and to kill the soul king." Aizen answered. The hybrid grew quite annoyed as he still didn't trust the soul reapers that much

"You just never stop, do you?" Renji said and prepared to fight Aizen, that was until Zaraki stepped in

"So why you two doing that stuff, Ichigo?" Zaraki asked nonchalantly. At this point, Gin and the others have reported something but Aizen just told them to wait a few minutes

The hybrid and former captain grew curious at what the fighting lover was after and the other soul reapers became surprised that Zaraki, of all people, chose to question something. That isn't a sight you see every day

"The soul king is destroying everything." Aizen said before Ichigo could respond. Unlike the hybrid, he knew these people wouldn't let that happen and were among the few who aren't blindly loyal. While Byakuya is arrogant, he will listen to reason, unlike someone like Soi Fon or Sajin

"Aizen, what are you..." Ichigo asked in an annoyed tone but Aizen shut him up by merely raising a hand. At this point, even the hybrid had learned to respect Aizen's judgment

Aizen then gave a short summary, a really short one and to say they were surprised would be a huge understatement. Everything the thirteen court guard squads stood for has been mostly a lie. They felt shame of how they all acted and yet, the one they tried to defend has been wanting to destroy everything for a long time now

"Do you have any proof of this?" Byakuya asked. Now Ichigo grew even more annoyed. They were wasting time but to his surprise, Aizen brought out a phone and showed them the disappearance

"What? How did you even record that?" Ichigo asked in surprise

"I asked Bambietta to take a record of it before I helped Kisuke with the adjustments and I made sure it was kept between the two of us. Since you got distracted with planning everything, I went outside before your dragon could leave." Aizen answered smugly

"You think of everything, don't you?" Ichigo said while rolling his eyes before glaring at the soul reapers. "So, are you guys with us or against us?" he said as he was readying his blades

"With you." Zaraki said quickly, surprising the former captain and the hybrid. "Besides, if we kill each other then we won't get a chance to ever have a rematch." he finished with a grin

"If we survive this anyway." Ichigo muttered before glaring at the others. "What about you?"

"Fine. We'll side with you but we won't be of much help against the soul king." Byakuya said and none of the others objected

"Leave him to us. Make no mistake, if any of you even so much as think of doing something stupid, I'll finish what I started when we last met." Ichigo warned them and got on his comms. "This is Ichigo. What's going on?"

"Southern gate secured. There's hardly anyone here. For some reason, it was barely guarded." Gin answered

"The northern gate is clear as well. Not a single one is here and no one else is coming out of the seireitei." Grimmjow answered

"The same goes for us. The sinners seem to think it's the soul reapers who is picking them off." Ginjo said

"Alright. Bambietta, Ulquiorra. It's a go. Hide in the trees and ensure nobody sees you. Grimmjow, Ginjo, Tsukishima, meet with Gin at the southern gate." Ichigo ordered, surprising the others before he stared at the seireitei. It took a few minutes for the hollow army and Giselle's zombies to take positions at the northern and eastern gates. At this point, the horsemen have already taught everyone how to use the garganta to travel between worlds. During that time, it was discovered that the soul king has locked even the garganta from entering the royal palace

While the others were busy taking positions, Ichigo and the others headed to the top of a few trees. Aizen felt something off and looked at the hybrid, who had an unusual smile on his face. "What is it, Ichigo?"

Ichigo just kept silent as he closed his eyes while his smile grew wider. "Just the irony. I once thought I'd never be back in this place again, at least in nearly the same way as the first time I was here. When I thought the soul reapers were my allies but in truth, they weren't." he said which unnerved the soul reapers with him. "And now, some are back on our side as all of reality is at stake. Fate just has a twisted sense of humor, doesn't it? Especially how you and I were enemies back then."

"That's true. Even I have to admit I never expected things to end up like this. Although I have to ask, did you really not go when Kisuke Urahara buried Yasutora Sado and Orihime Inoue?" Aizen asked. Rukia and Renji grew curious at what he meant and they hoped what they were thinking wasn't true

"That doesn't matter. We're in the middle of a war. Getting distracted would only cost us." Ichigo answered coldly, surprising everyone that he, of all people, appeared not to give one crap about it. "Zangetsu was right. I let my emotions get too out of hand all the time. I had to learn how to use my head more and focus on what really matters."

"Never expected to hear those kinds of words from you." AIzen commented

"Like I said before, you can't expect someone to remain the same forever." Ichigo retorted

"That's true. So, are you ready?" Aizen asked

"Let's get this over with." Ichigo asked and got on his comms. "Status report."

"All ready here. We're waiting for the gates to be opened." Bambietta answered as she and the other quincies were already in positon along with Giselle's zombie army, which only got larger as due to nearly raising the entire sinner army that attacked the world of the living. Somehow, they were able to hide from plain sight but that could also be attributed to the cover of the darkness and that most of the army were away from the immediate area of the gates

"The same goes for us. We're awaiting for the gates to be opened." Ulquiorra responded as he and the other hollows were also doing the same thing as the quincies

"We've met up with Gin in the southern gate. All is still clear." Ginjo answered

Ichigo then decided to check the citadel as he also left some of his flames while he was putting the charges. For some reason, the sinners took no actions against it. It seems that they have become quite complacent and relied too much on the gates to keep them safe. "Alright but this is gonna be one hell of a blast." he said as he decided to raise those who have fallen, namely the ones he raised as demonstration to Yhwach

Suddenly, the giant form of Sajin's bankai rose up and began hammering the insides of the citadel. Komamura wasn't the only one as many dead soul reapers rose up from the ground and began engaging the sinners. The biggest nail in the coffin was that even Yamamoto was raised as an undead minion and quickly incinerated a large army of sinners

As the sinner army tried to respond to the sudden attack, Ichigo activated the explosives he placed, instantly putting the entire citadel on alert and even grabbed the attention of the surviving apostles. The hybrid then used the raised corpses of the gatekeeps that were killed during the wandenreich invasion to open the gates. "Go, now!" he ordered

Rushing out from their positions, Bambietta and Ulquiorra quickly blasted the guards stationed directly at the gates, thereby allowing their armies access without being hindered. Gin and the others also charged in through the gate but since they didn't have an army with them, they had to be as quiet as possible while picking off the army otherwise the sheer numbers would overwhelm them

The sudden attack, massive explosions and the dead suddenly coming from the ground quickly got the attention of the apostles, even Shuren. The surviving nine of them went to separate directions as their enemies were coming from all four gates

In the few seconds before the attack was sprung, Shuren was just in his quarters in the citadel, which was located in the former squad six barracks, specifically the Kuchiki Manor. He was thinking about their next move as well as what they found in the world of the living, which was next to nothing. Even though Mue also had the ability to create clones of himself, he wasn't able to find anything significant. The only choice the sinners had now to find their goal was the royal palace. While he was thinking, he began to wonder if Ichigo's allies would launch a counter attack to drive them out but he was fully confident that the gates would buy them the time they need. If it didn't then they'll have to pray Szayelaparro figures out how to enter the royal palace by then. His thoughts were interrupted the instant Ichigo raised the dead, Shuren immediately went out and saw what happened. He then quickly moved towards the undead corpse of Yamamoto, who was the one with the highest kill count so far. The moment he arrived, he was nearly killed as Yamamoto sent his flames towards him but he barely managed to dodge. It seems that under Ichigo's control, the dead have slightly better reflexes

The other apostles also quickly responded but they were a few seconds too late. Both the zombie and hollow armies have already breached the perimeter of the seireitei and have already split up. Their troops stationed at the western and southern gates were also attacked but there was no army. As such, most of them tried to relocate to the northern and eastern gates but they couldn't as they were intercepted by Ichigo's undead creatures. This was now a dilemma for the sinners as if they focused on the armies at the gates, the undead would just eat through their ranks but if they left them unchecked, said armies would eventually gain a foothold. Ultimately, the apostles and bounts made the choice to engage Ichigo's undead first

At the western gate as their allies had already gained a foothold, Ichigo and the others were just waiting

"Ichigo, what are we doing here? Shouldn't we go help?" Renji asked with uncertainty. Like with the others, he was glad they were finally on the same side as the hybrid but naturally, even he was still worried about all this

"Not yet. Aizen and I are gonna make a b line for sokyoku hill. You do whatever you want." Ichigo answered, not even bothering to look at him

Inside the seireitei as they were beginning the assault, Ulquiorra noticed the undead fighting the sinners. "Ichigo, are those undead yours?" he asked through the comms and he made sure that everyone would be aware of it

"Yes. I raised them to create an even bigger distraction." Ichigo answered back, surprising everyone

"In that case, split up. Cover as much ground as you can while the sinners are distracted." Bambietta ordered to her fellow quincies and Kukaku, who was with them along with Ganju, did as she said

"What if we run into the apostles?" Liltotto asked with uncertainty

"Kill them. It's the only choice we've got. This is do or die anyway so either we kill them or they kill us." Bambietta answered grimly. At this point, all of them, hollows, soul reapers, quincies and fullbringers were well aware of the possibility that this might be the last few hours of their lives

Seeing her point and how they threw everything on the line on this attack, the others did as she ordered. Even the arrancars decided to do as she ordered even though they were already planning to do it while at the southern gate, Gin and the others also split up. Grimmjow headed towards his fellow arrancars and ruthlessly slaughtered any sinner in his way while Gin decided to try and look for the prison. Ginjo and Tsukishima decided to just pick off as much of the sinner army as possible. Ichigo was right. This army was even larger than the one that attacked them just hours ago. What really gave them the most trouble were the gargoyles. They flew around in massive numbers and as such, only their armies engaged the ghouls and dullahans as nearly everyone had to focus their efforts on ensuring that the gargoyles wouldn't slaughter their armies, which combined was only about as large as the one that attacked earlier

Outside, Ichigo just observed through his undead and saw that everyone had finally split up. Getting down from the tree he was standing on, he ordered. "Alright, time to go." he said as he readied his blades

"Hey, Ichigo." Zaraki called out. "You guys are gonna make a run for the hill, right?" he asked and the hybrid only nodded. "Alright, then I'll go first and get their attention. I've been itching for this since they first came here." he said with a grin before rushing towards the seireitei

The other soul reapers looked at each other before deciding to follow Zaraki's lead. Seeing that Zaraki would draw that much attention to himself, Ichigo and Aizen chose to agree to it. As soon as they felt that Zaraki has begun engaging the sinners, they quickly entered the seireitei. Zaraki's plan actually worked as there were now less sinners in their path but sokyoku hill still remained quite a distance away. They would have to fight their way through. During the few hours of preparation they did, Zhakuro modified Ichigo's bow. Both ends were now similar to that of a blade while it still retained its function as a bow. With this change, the bow can now be used as a makeshift sword should the situation call for it

While Zaraki was busy with slicing up every ghoul and dullahan he comes across with ecstasy, the other four were not that keen, after all, they were not gonna get any rest thanks to this battle. They watched as Ichigo and Aizen worked together mopping up anyone left by Zaraki's rampage while they head straight for sokyoku hill

"Captain, what do we do?" Renji asked as the four of them came to a stop among some rubble

"We'll have to find the others. Hopefully, they will understand the situation we are in. We can't afford to have a two way war between us." Toshiro answered thoughtfully

"In that case, I think we should free the visored first. After all, they are the ones most keen on making things right with Ichigo." Rukia suggested

"That's a good thought, Rukia. We'll have to stick together on this one. There's far too many of these monstrosities for us to take on alone." Byakuya said as he eyed a large flock of gargoyles heading their way. "Scatter, Senbonzakura." he muttered and completely cut them all down while they dodged the stuff the gargoyles were spewing at them

"We can't stick around in one place. Let's move." Toshiro said and led the way, using his ice to freeze anything in their path

In the meantime, Shuren was having an incredibly difficult time against the undead Yamamoto, mainly because the fallen head captain wasn't even trying to kill him but merely to distract him. 'Damn this. We won't get anywhere if it keeps up like this.' Shuren thought as he was getting frustrated at fighting the late head captain, whose undead body was just dancing around him and causing all his attacks to miss while incinerating all of the sinners' forces that dared get too close, both ground and air. Shuren tried something else and summoned multiple doppelgangers of himself using his own flames, hoping to finally trap the head captain. This didn't go as he had hoped as Yamamoto merely flashed around at even higher speeds. At this point, Shuren wondered if this was Yamamoto's own natural speed or was it enhanced by Ichigo's powers. Whatever the case, he was gonna be occupied for a very long time and knew this one had to be top priority. He focused around and felt the spiritual pressures. Ichigo's undead army was slowly chipping away at the sinners army but at least they were now engaged by his fellow aposltes while his allies were slowly taking over the seireitei. Shuren was even wondering how they would fare as their own complacency is biting them real hard and one of the bounts, Utagawa, was not at full strength after being defeated when they first came here. The only stroke of good news for them is that not that many of the dead were raised by Ichigo and for some reason, he chose not to raise the sternritters, further proving that this was nothing more than a distraction

The same also went for Yoshi and Sawatari. They were both busy trying to take down undead Sajin. Like with Shuren, they were only being kept busy as the fallen soul reapers were fighting alongside the undead captain. Unlike Shuren though, they had their own army of gargoyles assisting them, which were invaluable in reducing the numbers of Ichigo's undead as they had no one to cover them. Sajin's bankai is a different story. Due to its massive size, it didn't even need to aim precisely as its attacks would deal damage either way. Deciding to end this fight, Sawatari had Baura distract the giant by biting its legs, reflecting the damage to Sajin himself and thereby forcing him to stand his ground. Baura did suffer some damage as the giant caught him by the tail and threw him into the ground. The giant then attempted to step on the immobilized fish but reeled back when Yoshi managed to kick Sajin. Before the fallen captain could even react, Yoshi quickly aimed for the head and sliced it off. Unfortunately for Sawatari, the head of the giant fell on top of Baura, while it did land on the rough side of the fish, it still dealt damage

"Couldn't you aim a bit better?" Sawatari complained as his doll was nearly crushed

"What are you complaining about, old man? We killed him. That's what matters." Yoshi retorted nonchalantly before she cut down more of the reanimated soul reapers. "Let's move. Our enemies' armies are still to the north and east. It seems that these reanimated soul reapers are nothing but a distraction."

Before any of the two could even leave the area, someone suddenly flashed between them and kicked away the old man. Yoshi was able to react accordingly but the attack was so vicious that she was pushed back

"You! Grimmjow!" Yoshi said in realization of who her attacker is

"Hey, Yoshi, am I right?" Grimmjow said with a grin as he was pushing her back. "I was hoping I'd run into Kariya but I suppose you will have to do." he said before firing a cero at her face

Yoshi disengaged and dodged the blast. "How are you here? And what are you doing? Kokuto is gonna have your head for this." she retorted back

"Kokuto's dead you dumb idiot. I gave Ichigo information about the citadel and in exchange, he freed me from hell. Now then..." Grimmjow said as he resumed attacking her

Sawatari recovered from the kick and mounted Baura. He ordered the fish to charge at the arrancar as he was occupied engaging the fellow bount. Baura did as was told and when he got close, Grimmjow fired a cero at his direction, forcing the fish to eat it. Yoshi then quickly moved out of the way and left the arrancar to be devoured but not before inflicing a light slash on his torso. When it seemed like it would be over for Grimmjow, the fish doll was suddenly forced out of the way when vines erupted from the ground and forced him away. The impact also caused Sawatari to fall off from his seat. The old bount then looked at what happened and saw two faces not familiar to him

"Hey, Grimmjow. Seems like you could use some help." Ginjo greeted as he and Tsukishima arrived

Their reunion was cut short when Yoshi suddenly flashed in front of the duo. "You should think before saying stuff like that in front of your enemy." she said in a reprimanding tone as she tried to cut Ginjo down

Suddenly, Grimmjow flashed below her and deflected her strike. "Maybe you should think about not ignoring your enemies when they're right in front of you." he argued back before looking at the fullbringers. "Take that old man away. I have some unfinished business with this one." he said before charging at Yoshi. Grimmjow was never really a big fan of the bounts even when they were still in the deathrise

"I guess there's no helping it." Tsukishima sighed and moved to attack Sawatari but Baura quickly covered its master, hitting its rough skin part instead and deflecting the attack

Ginjo took this chance to aim directly at the old bount but it didn't work as Baura shifted its scales to protect its master. "Damn. So those scales can move huh?"

"That's right. Don't think this will be easy." Baura warned before phasing away

At that same time, Gin remained hidden throughout the battles, using both the darkness and the rubble as cover while hiding his spiritual pressure. While he had no intention of betraying Ichigo, nor Aizen this time, he still wanted to put Rangiku first and he is more than willing to knock her unconscious to keep her out of harms way, at least until they survive this war. He was searching for the prisons in this citadel, hoping that one of them would contain the soul reapers. His search in the southern area was getting him nowhere

While the ones from the southern gate just engaged the sinners, the quincies and hollows were slowly gaining the upper hand. The fact many of the bounts and the aposltes were busy fending off Ichigo's undead gave them the opportunity they needed to gain a solid foothold in the citadel. Eventually, the five female sternritters managed to rendezvous with each other and with Ulquiorra

"Ulquiorra." Candice called out as she saw the arrancar while shooting some gargoyles

Ulquiorra didn't even bother to respond and merely looked at her while he was cutting down the ghouls and dullahans attacking him. When a flock of gargoyles came his way, he merely released a bunch of balas and knocked them all out of the sky

"Ulquiorra, what's going on on your end?" Bambietta asked as the five of them approached the arrancar

"It's mostly the same. All of our troops entered the citadel and are slowly pushing them back but seeing as we only engaged them from two gates, we still have a lot of ground to cover." Ulquiorra responded before noticing more gargoyles come in. This time, they were engaged by some of the flying hollows they brought with them. When it seemed that the gargoyles were gonna have the upper hand, some fireworks suddenly shot up and killed a whole lot of them, surprising everyone who saw it

"Hey, what you all doing there?" Kukaku asked sarcastically as she joined them

"Kukaku? Interesting that we've managed to link up." Meninas commented as she and Ganju approached

"That's cool and all, so what do we do now? Ulquiorra is right, we still have to cover a lot of ground. Ichigo's undead will only distract them for so long and it's only a matter of time before they regroup." Liltotto pointed out

Kukaku eyed the area for a while and saw a rooftop of a building. "Alright, Ganju, Bambietta, Candice, with me. Let's head to the western gate and try to secure it." she said

"Then I guess the three of us will try to head to the largest group of sinners and take them out." Meninas commented before looking at the fallen sinners. "Then again, we could just stay here and cover Giselle while she creates reinforcements."

"That sounds like a better idea." Giselle said before quickly moving towards the downed corpses

"In that case, I will head out. From what I can feel, many of Ichigo's undead have already fallen. We'll have to take on the apostles before they get to Ichigo." Ulquiorra said before promptly leaving

"Let's go. He's got a point." Bambietta said to Kukaku and they too left, leaving only the trio of female sternritters who provided cover for Giselle while she creates reinforcements as more ghouls suddenly began charging at them

Kukaku and the others reached the rooftop not that long after and began shooting down the gargoyles while Ganju just sunk the ground forces under sand

"Hey, I just realized something. Where are all the soul reapers?" Candice asked while shooting down gargoyles

"Probably imprisoned somewhere." Ganju answered simply while dumping even more ghouls under the sand

"What do we do if we find them?" Candice asked curiously

Kukaku was about to answer but Bambietta beat her to the punch. "We ask them if they're with us or against us. We don't have the time to discuss everything with them." Bambietta answered

"That's true but try to avoid killing them if you can." Kukaku said before firing a raikoho at some gargoyles

"I think that's about it for the ground forces in this area. I think you two should advance while we do some Shiba clan specialty." Ganju said as he approached the girls

"Shut up!" Kukaku said before smacking her brother. "There is no point to any 'specialty' right now." she reprimanded before looking at the quincies. "But he does have a point. I'll take care of as many gargoyles as I can. We'll have to draw the sinners' attention while Ichigo and AIzen still head for sokyoku hill"

"Alright. We'll leave it to you then." Candice said as she jumped down, lightning swords at the ready, with Bambietta following suit, blowing up everything directly beneath them

All the others were faring pretty well. It hasn't been over thirty minutes into the battle yet their push has yet to be impeded. Starrk and Harribel had pushed from the eastern gates towards the southern area while Nel and Dordoni headed for the center. Due to how intense this battle was gonna be, they decided to leave their fraccion behind in Urahara's shop. That way, in case someone attacks while the shopkeeper was away, someone would be left to defend it

In only a short timespan of thirty minutes, a third of the entire sinner army has already been slaughtered with most of the apostles being kept occupied with the undead soul reapers while the hollow and zombie army have slowly been gaining ground. The western gate fared the worst as that was where Zaraki rampaged with Ichigo and Aizen right behind him. It was also around this moment that the apostles and bounts finally had gotten their hands free. Quickly, they moved to engage their enemies so they split up, each targetting the ones with the strongest spiritual pressure

While Nel and Dordoni, along with a small army of hollows were busy cutting their way through the sinners' defenses, someone suddenly confronted them. It was a woman with lavender hair, who began targetting the hollows with her crossbow, shooting down a few of them. Judging from her spiritual pressure, Nel concluded that it was a member of the twelve apostles

"Dordoni, head out and secure more ground." Nel ordered as she eyed their new opponent. "Now!" she said when she saw the man hesitate

Dordoni really wanted to join the fight but being a former inhabitant of the deathrise citadel, he was well aware of who this individual was and of the difference in power between them. Before he could leave, the lavender haired woman shot him in the leg and forced him down

"Where do you think you're going, Dordoni? Do you think this treachery will go unpunished?" the woman asked as the said man looked at her in fear before she fired another arrow from her crossbow, aimed right on his head. To her surprise, Nel just caught it with her bare hands. It did inflict a small wound but it quickly healed thanks to her high speed regeneration

"Like I said, go. Leave her to me." Nel ordered and this time, Dordoni quickly followed but was moving slower due to his leg injury. The lavender haired woman attempted to give chase to the arrancar but Nel intercepted her by slashing right in front of her but the lavender haired woman dodged it, giving Dordoni the time he needed to get away from the immediate area

"No matter. I'll simply deal with him later." the woman said before looking at Nel. "I am Benin, of the twelve apostles."

Nel didn't even bother to introduce herself as she just engaged the woman almost immediately

Liltotto, Meninas and Giselle were still busy with the corpses when suddenly, someone fired what appeared to be explosives at them. The trio looked around and saw a middle aged man with a weird metal spider with him. With just a signal of his hand, the spider fired some metal balls but not aimed at the girls. Instead, it was aimed at the corspes as it seemed that this man realized how to slow down their numbers

"I am Go Koga, member of the bounts." he introduced himself

Without so much as a word, the three girls immediately drew their bows and fired arrows at the man but all of them were blocked by projectiles from the spider. Since that wouldn't work, they just reverted to good old swordfighting and engaged the man

The others were also met with similar situations. When they finally got rid of Ichigo's undead, every single bount and apostle moved out and eventually found their opponents. The bounts especially, had a trick up their sleeve and it concerned as to why there weren't that many rukongai citizens and why they slaughtered random townspeople during their attack in the world of the living. That trick of course, is that the bounts have slowly been consuming the souls of the rukongai citizens, thereby growing more powerful. While they were not as powerful as a member of the twelve apostles, they would still be able to put up a good fight unless they were facing Ichigo or Aizen. Since the sinners were under the impression that the worlds would collapse if the balance was broken, they decided to slaughter many humans during their attack as to preserve that balance

While Ichigo's allies were busy pushing their way, it seems that they were finally gonna be able to do their jobs. Ulquiorra faced of against someone that calls himself as 'Garogai'. Harribel against Taikon, Starrk against a bount named 'Utagawa', Askin against Riyan, Cang Du against Ugaki and Bazz B against Mabashi. While none of Ichigo's allies knew if the one they were facing was an apostle or a bount, one thing was for certain. They would not hold back

This whole time whoever, Shuren was still busy with Yamamoto. After realizing that the one Yamamoto was fighting was the 'Shuren' that Nozomi mentioned, Ichigo decided to have the late head captain trap him with his Jokaku Enju and since then, Shuren has been unable to escape and that was already nearly ten minutes ago

By now, Gin was still hiding in the area on the western side of the seireitei. Wherever the prison of this place was is not easy to find. He was startled though when an explosion suddenly occured right in front of him as he was sure that he hid his spiritual pressure and seeing him in the dark wouldn't have been easy

"What are you doing, Gin?" Bambietta asked suspiciously as she and Candice saw him hiding

Gin turned around and saw the two girls with unamused expressions so he decided to just be honest. "I'm looking for their prison."

"Why is that? That's not what you're supposed to be doing." Candice pointed out. Gin didn't answer as it was really obvious he wanted to get the soul reapers' help. "Even if we did free them, how would we know they would help us?"

Bambietta saw this as an opportunity to both test Gin's loyalty as well as get some more decoys. She suddenly flashed behind Gin and slapped him lightly on the back of his neck before flashing to Candice

"What did you do?" Gin asked curiously

"I put an explosive right on you." Bambietta answered and causing Gin to panic and Candice to grin, as she knew what her friend was up to. "We'll help you locate this prison but make no mistake, if you've just been deceiving us, I'll blow up that charge I put on you. Let's go." she said and led the way to find anything out of the ordinary

"I guess it really was a good thing that we trained huh?" Candice asked with a smirk since Gin hanged back as he was still in a bit of a panic

"Yeah. i wouldn't have been able to control my powers like this if we didn't train." Bambietta answered before finding a building filled with sinners. Surprisingly, these sinners appeared to be guarding something as instead of relocating to head to engage Ichigo's undead or their armies, they just stayed here and chose to engage the two girls when they got close. "I think we found something."

Knowing that it would be stupid to just blow this building up, Bambietta instead readied herself to engage in close quarters combat. Before she could even swing her sword, Candice suddenly decided to fry all the ghouls and dullahans in the immediate area. This also attracted the attention of the gargoyles, who were busy engaging the flying hollows. When the gargoyles got too close, Gin merely pierced them all with his shikai and sliced them out of the sky. The three then went inside and completely ignored the possibility of any sinner reinforcement. Inside, they found a door that was for whatever reason, placed on the ground. Deciding to check it out, they opened it and found a staircase leading undergound. Down there, they found most of the lieutenants being imprisoned and appeared to be completely drained of energy, which wasn't all too surprising as they had some sort of seki seki cuffs on them

"Rangiku!" Gin called out and got the attention of the soul reapers

It took a while for everyone to realize who it was and they were surprised

"Captain Ichimaru?" Izuru asked weakly as Gin broke the locks and setting them free

When Tetsuzaemon saw Bambietta, he immediately flew into a rage and tried to attack her despite being handcuffed. Sadly for him, Bambietta merely grabbed him by the face and slammed him against a wall

"One question before we break your cuffs, were any of you interrogated by the sinners?" Candice asked, speaking for her friend who was busy pinning the lieutenant to the wall

"I think so. Tetsuzaemon was interrogated not that long ago but only him." Momo answered, too weak to think straight

"Did you tell the sinners about Orihime Inoue?" Bambietta questioned the one she pinned to the wall

"Yeah I did. So what?" Tetsuzaemon answered before instantly regretting what he just said. Just a couple seconds after giving his answer, his head was suddenly pierced by a sword and cut in two

"Why did you do that?!" Rangiku asked in a panic

"Make no mistake Rangiku. Orihime is already dead." Bambietta answered and surprising the orange haired lieutenant

"What?!" Rangiku asked in a panic

"Why did you instantly blame him for it?" Gin asked curiously. He didn't particularly care about that lieutenant

"Because from what Uryu said, Orihime was assassinated, meaning she was specifically targetted and there would only be one reason why. There is no way the sinners could have gotten this information on their own so that only leaves that someone squealed." Bambietta answered. She didn't exactly know if that was true but that was her theory anyway. Suddenly, they all felt a strong spiritual pressure heading their way. "Gin, get them all out but remember, I'm keeping you on a short leash."

"Wait. If you're fighting the sinners then let us help." Izuru protested

"In your current state, you'd only get in the way." Candice said as she and Bambietta left. The two girls made their way outside and found themselves face to face with a white haired man with a scar on the left side of his face from his forehead to his jaw

"I really don't like it when our prisoners are meddled with, especially when we were about to try something. I am Ganryu, of the twelve apostles." he introduced himself

Ever since they saw that Zaraki, Aizen and Ichigo were handling things on their own, Byakuya and the others decided to head to the south gate. From what they felt, that was the only area that didn't have an army. Their journey there was delayed when they encountered significant resistance, both from the ground and air forces of the sinners. This forced Byakuya to use his shikai to kill the gargoyles while the others focused on the ground troops. It worked perfectly as Rukia and Toshiro's ice powers allowed them to immobilize and kill the sinners from afar while Renji watched their flanks. Eventually, they came across the small forest at the foot of sokyoku hill, where there were even more sinners. Left with no choice, Toshiro and Rukia reluctantly froze the entire forest along with most of the sinners. While they were pushing though, they suddenly heard someone call out to them. The four looked at the direction it came from and saw the visored trapped in a cell that was carved into the hill itself

"Captain Hirako?" Byakuya asked in surprise as his group approached the visored. Immediately, he used his zanpakuto to break them out

"What's going on, Byakuya? How did you manage to stage this counter attack on your own?" Love asked as they were broken free. Unlike the lieutenants, they weren't really that drained

"Ichigo is here, along with Aizen and his allies." Renji answered before Toshiro told them what they were told earlier

"What?! Are you serious?!" Hiyori yelled out, forgetting that not five minutes ago, she was a prisoner

"I'm afraid so. Aizen even took footage of it." Rukia answered, which only infuriated the raging visored

"So what are we to do? There is no way we could take on the soul king." Hachi asked

"Leave that to Ichigo. He seems to know what he's doing. For now, we'll have to find captain Kyoraku and Ukitake while distracting the sinners at the same time." Toshiro answered before leading the group to secure the southern area

At that same time, Zaraki, Aizen and Ichigo encountered significant resistance the closer they got to sokyoku hill. They didn't really bump into Byakuya as they found themselves on the other side of the hill, namely the one directly beneath the execution grounds while Byakuya and the others were at the stairs leading up. While they were disposing of the sinner army, multiple tentacles suddenly came their way but Zaraki merely blocked them with his zanpakuto

"Go. I'll take him on." Zaraki said with a grin. He finally had the chance to get a decent fight after all this time

Aizen and Ichigo did not even hesitate as they knew that Zaraki would be able to take this guy on. When they tried to leave however, Gunjo suddenly flashed in front of them, blocking their path. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked before Zaraki flashed behind him

"Hey, I'm the guy you're fighting." Zaraki said as he grabbed Gunjo by the tentacles and threw him against a tree

"Let's go." Ichigo said as he and Aizen used the distraction to race to the top. Once they arrived, they saw another army waiting for them

"Hado number ninety nine, Goryutenmetsu." Aizen said and instantly finished off the entire ground army while Ichigo used his bow to fire a volley of arrows against the gargoyles. At the center of the hill though, was someone Aizen was very familiar with. "Szayelaparro." he muttered, getting the attention of the arrancar, who was working on something

"Well, now. This is a surprise. It's been a long time, hasn't it, Aizen?" Szayelaparro greeted

"Stand down, now." Aizen ordered and Ichigo just observed them

"I'm sorry, but I don't take orders from you anymore." Szayelaparro said before drawing his sword

"Kurohitsugi." Aizen quickly said and summoned a black coffin at his former subordinate. To his dismay, Szayelaparro managed to leave the area before he could be fully enguled

"Sorry, but it won't be that easy." Szayelaparro taunted before he was suddenly bisected. "What...?" he asked in surprise

"I guess you forgot about me." Ichigo said before finishing him off with a getsuga jujisho

The moment his former subordinate was killed, Aizen looked around and decided that it would take quite a few minutes for anyone to get here. "Kisuke, this is Aizen. We've secured sokyoku hill."

"Alright, we're coming now." Kisuke responded through the comms. A few minutes later, a senkaimon appeared. Kisuke, Yoruichi, Isshin, Uryu, Ryuken and the horsemen soon exited

"Let's do this." Ichigo said as the senkaimon closed before looking straight up

* * *

**So, it has finally begun, the final chapters of my story. Thanks to all who have followed it up to this point**

**Just to clear some stuff up, all this happened during the night, meaning it is in total darkness this whole fight. Since this is the beginning of the last few chapters, I'm sure you could figure out what the contents of the next ones are but the epilogue is still not yet planned**

**There really isn't much more to say. This was just a setup chapter for the individual battles that will come**


	62. Chapter 61

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Sixty One - The Final Battle II: The Tides of War**

**-Soul Society-**

"Alright, we're coming now." Kisuke responded through the comms. A few minutes later, a senkaimon appeared. Kisuke, Yoruichi, Isshin, Uryu, Ryuken and the horsemen soon exited

"Let's do this." Ichigo said as the senkaimon closed before looking straight up. "Zhakuro, how much time do you need to get us entry?"

"If only the seven of us go, at most, ten minutes." Zhakuro answered before he felt an army heading their way. "Here they come. Hold them off." he said and he, along with the horsemen, began conducting another ritual

Ichigo and the others did as was told and in a matter of a few seconds, the gargoyle rained down their acid from above. Ichigo, Uryu and Ryuken focused their efforts on the gargoyles. As soon as the gargoyles were engaged, the ghouls literally climbed on the side of the hill towards the top while the dullahans' horses did the same. This time, even their horses joined the battle

"That's a large army. How many troops do they freaking have?" Ichigo grumbled

"Stop grumbling and just shoot them down. The sinners must have wanted to head to the royal palace as well." Uryu retorted back. He was still annoyed at Ichigo's actions of not attending the burial despite his reasoning

"Whatever." Ichigo retorted in an annoyed tone

"Keep focused. Here they come." Ryuken said as the ground forces were now swarming at them from multiple directions

Isshin fired a getsuga tensho and completely cut down many of the ground forces but unfortunately, the gargoyle aimed at him with their poison spew. Kisuke noticed this and protected him with his blood mist shield before using said shield to fire energy bullets at the gargoyles, grounding some of them and injuring even more. Yoruichi decided to engage them all at close quarters and drew her zanpakuto before flashing at really high speeds. Even though she was greatly outnumbered, her immense speed allowed her to effortlessly dodge any attack from the army. The army even ended up killing each other when they attempted to attack her. Even the gargoyles ended up hitting their spew on the ground forces

After about five minutes, Ichigo decided to shoot down many of the gargoyles in one go by using his shikai to fire a large number of daggers of pure darkness at them before using his own getsuga to help against the ground forces. With many of the gargoyles shot down, the ground forces were left vulnerable and Aizen was having one hell of a time shooting hado eighty eights everywhere

"It's ready." Zhakuro suddenly yelled when a gateway opened and on the other side, everyone saw the royal palace but it looked different now

"Alright." Ichigo said before firing a cero at the remaining ground forces before raising even more undead creatures. He didn't really bother to raise those with significant powers as controlling them would require his attention so he just settled with random soldiers. The only exception he did to this was Yamamoto and Sajin so that the distraction could be created. "Let's go."

"Only the seven of us can head to the royal palace. Any more of us enters this portal then it will collapase. Make no mistake though, travelling towards the palace will not be easy." Zhakuro warned

"That's fine. We'll leave this to you then and get rid of the sinners." Kisuke said sternly

The others quickly nodded at this before the horsemen, Zhakuro, Aizen and Ichigo entered the portal. When the seven of them finally left, they quickly got rid of the army that was attacking them in an attempt to retake sokyoku hill

"Finally. I thought they were never gonna end." Isshin grumbled

"Your son wasn't kidding. There really was a much bigger army than the ones that attacked." Ryuken commented

"Regardless, what should we do now, other than engage the sinners?" Uryu asked, pointing out that most of the stronger spiritual pressures that belonged to the sinners were mostly engaged

"I guess we kill their army and prevent the others from being overwhelemed." Kisuke muttered

"What about the other soul reapers?" Uryu pointed out

"Let's break them out." Yoruichi suggested

"Are you sure about that, Yoruichi?" Kisuke asked warily

"I think so. We're gonna need as much help as we can. Aizen also mentioned that Byakuya and the others have agreed to help us." Yoruichi answered

"Well, we'll have to find them first. It's not gonna be easy." Isshin said as he went to the edge of the hill

"Let's split up. Me and Yoruichi will head down to the south. You three head to the west. With Ichigo and Aizen making a b line for this place, it may be possible they didn't check everything." Kisuke suggested as he observed the battles going on. Gargoyles were clashing with flying hollows while building after building were being destroyed by the various battles going on

"Alright. You take care." Isshin said as he along with the Ishidas jumped down

"Do you think Gin is still on our side?" Yoruichi asked as she watched the three jump

"Who knows. If anything, he would be looking for Rangiku and getting her out." Kisuke mused as he was told earlier by AIzen what Gin's real goal might be. "I think we should go as well. The sinners might come back here any time soon." he said as he flashed towards the southern end of the hill, the one where the visored were found. When the duo jumped down, they felt the traces of spiritual pressure and after a while of searching, found a cage that has been broken. Judging from the spiritual pressure, it belonged to the visored and Byakuya was the one who broke the cell

"So, the visored is already out. It seems that the sinners kept them alive for some reason." Yoruichi commented

"It might be to use them as sacrificial lambs to enter the royal palace, similar to how Zhakuro sealed the world of the living away from hell earlier." Kisuke wondered as he looked around. "Should we split up?" he asked as he felt that the battles were gonna take a while

"I think so. We should just focus on finding the soul reapers and hope that they will see reason. This war is much bigger than a simple grudge now." Yoruichi answered thoughtfully

"And if they don't?" Kisuke asked grimly

"Then we don't break them out. We don't have the time to fight among each other." Yoruichi answered, which was exactly the same thing Kisuke was thinking

"Alright. Good luck, Yoruichi." Kisuke said and the two of them split up to cover more ground. Since everyone nearly everyone was occupied with their battles, they only focused on finding any more prisoners as they discussed. "This is Kisuke. If you see any soul reapers, don't engage them. They have joined our cause. Me and Yoruichi are looking for the others. If we find any soul reaper that are against us, then we'll simply leave them imprisoned." he said through the comms. The others gave an understanding response but they made sure to let Kisuke know that they don't trust any soul reaper at all

Meanwhile, Gin was still in the prison along with the lieutenants. He was well aware that neither of the two girls particularly cared about the soul reapers and would most likely use them as decoys to kill the sinners. With this in mind, Gin opted to just wait inside until the girls have lured the apostle away. It took them quite a bit of time as it seemed that they weren't battling that hard, yet. When he felt them go further away, he quickly led the way outside. "Let's go while those two distracted that sinner." he said

The lieutenants quickly followed him. They were still incredibly weak due to barely being given anything to eat and having most of their powers suppressed. When they reached the outside, they were horrified. The seireitei had been turned into some sort of base of operations and it was now being destroyed. Flying creatures were above trying to kill each other while battles raged left and right

"Let's get you out of here before they find us. With Ichigo's undead army, we shouldn't encounter that many sinners." Gin said before using his shikai to slice a path through the rubble

They quickly tried to head for the gates, all the while dodging any rubble being thrown around by the battles and trying to avoid the sights of the gargoyles

"Gin, is that really you?" Rangiku asked when they took shelter in a ruined building

"It's me, Rangiku." Gin answered rather calmy

"How are you alive? I watched you die?" Rangiku asked sadly

Gin merely grinned at this before answering. "After AIzen killed me, I was somehow pulled into hell. A few days ago, Ichigo and Aizen went to hell in order to get rid of the sinners' leader. In exchange for me guiding them through hell, they broke me out."

The others were surprised at this as not once did they ever consider that someone would ever enter hell willingly

"At any rate, we should go. We can't hide forever." Gin said and looked outside to check for any signs of the sinners

"No. We thank you for the release Gin, but this is the seireitei. We're not just gonna abandon it." Shuhei said adamantly and the others nodded in agreement

"You're in no condition to fight, Shuhei." Gin pointed out

"Perhaps, but we should be able to fight their ordinary troops." Izuru protested, supporting his friend

"Captain Ichimaru, what exactly is going on?" Momo asked timidly. Gin just sighed at this before giving a very brief summary of what happened. Like with Byakuya's group, they were horrified at what was going on in the world of the living

"Are you serious?!" Isane asked in a panic

"I'm afraid so. Ichigo and Aizen have already left to the palace to try and stop this. Everyone else just decided to hang back and engage the sinners." Gin answered sadly

"Then all the more reason for us not to loaf around. If what you say is true, there is much more at stake now than ever." Shuhei said in realization before quickly leaving to intercept as many sinners as he can

"Damn it. Wait, Shuhei." Izuru said as he tried to catch up

"They're right, GIn. We can't afford to sit around." Rangiku said sternly and gave him a look that said no arguments

"Fine but I'll be keeping an eye on you, Rangiku." Gin said before slicing up some gargoyles that were flying above them. "This is GIn. I have found the lieutenants. They've agreed to fight with us." he said through the comms

In the meantime, Byakuya's group were still in the area around the southern gate. The visored have already split up with them but made sure not to interfere in any major battle. They didn't know if Ichigo's allies would consider them a threat so instead, they decided to head to any part where the armies on both sides were thick and engage the army instead, just like with the lieutenants. Byakuya's group on the other hand, have decided to continue their search for any more prisoners. They seriously hoped that anyone they find would listen to them otherwise this was gonna be really messy

Some time after they split up, Kisuke went to the area where the squad twelve barracks was. There was no trace of the barracks whatsoever. Even the equipment have been changed to someone else's liking, most probably Szayelaparro. Since this area is deserted due to the attack, he had the time to do some poking around. After a while of looking, he found the corpse of Mayuri. It seems that the sinners have deemed him too dangerous. It wasn't surprising as Mayuri was a really tricky one. While he was doing a thorough search of the place, he felt the spiritual pressure of the visored nearby. They were engaging a small army of sinners nearby. Wondering if there was a way to see them, he tried to see if there were any cameras. As he expected, while there were some cameras, most have been destroyed. 'I wonder...' he thought to himself as he decided to access whatever data was stored on the computers. There weren't really much except the design plans of the citadel. Kisuke eventually came across an encrypted file and after some tinkering, it contained the data on where each of the prisoner soul reaper was located. They were split into three groups, the ones who were with Kyoraku when they were captured, the lieutenants and the visored. According to Gin, the lieutenants were already free and from his analysis, so were the visored. That only leaves. "Yoruichi, this is Kisuke. I've found where Kyoraku is. He's at the former squad one barracks. The sinners have found muken and kept hiim underground along with Ukitake, Soi Fon and Nanao."

"Alright, Kisuke. I'll try to find that place." Yoruichi answered and changed directions from where she was searching

In the meantime, the battles were still raging. Ginjo and Tsukishima in particular were having a bit of trouble against Sawatari. The old man alone was obviously not gonna be a problem. The problem was that the fish's power has increased due to the time the bounts spent in the soul society. The rough part of its scales were actually moving all over its body, even in its underside although it would drop almost instantly after so it was only good for blocking attacks. It's ability to turn the ground into its own personal pool was also annoying

"This isn't looking good for us." Tsukishima commented as they were trying to dodge hit and run attacks from Baura

"I can see that." Ginjo retorted as he blocked a scale that was fired by the fish

"What do you think? There are no limits to where we can appear and disappear in this place." Sawatari gloated as Baura went in for another dive right at Ginjo

With the size of Baura, it is relatively easy to dodge a direct attack but the fish merely used this to phase away in order to avoid any hits. The two fullbringers then regrouped afterwards

"This is getting annoying." Ginjo grumbled as the fish escaped

After a few minutes, it didn't resurface, causing the fullbringers to wonder what the bount was doing

"It's been a while since he phased out." Tsukishima pointed out before realizing something, which GInjo realized as well. "That was a distraction." he said as another army came their way

"It seems that he wants to finish us off while we're distracted." Ginjo said. Luckily for them, Giselle's undead gargoyles and the hollow army distracted the sinners' gargoyles in a fierce aerial combat. "Split up."

Tsukishima didn't even hesitate and went off in another direction with Ginjo doing the same. Before they left, the two of them decided to use this chance to take out Sawatari once and for all without so much as saying a single word

Ginjo went on ahead and began slicing up the army that came. It wasn't really that big and on a wild guess, only about four hundred but definitely not more than five. The army also split up as their targets also split up. Ginjo used his ability to manipulate plants to easily get rid of them. It didn't even take him five minutes to dispose of them. The fact that the gargoyles didn't attack them really proved to be a good thing as they would have posed a problem

Tsukishima also did the same. Ever since his training, he discovered that he also had the power to unleash his slash attacks as a ranged attack, thereby granting him the ability to attack from a distance. The only time he used this power was when the sinners attacked karakura town. He used it to fend off the gargoyles. Since fullbringers were influenced by a hollow's power in the early stages of their lives, he also managed to learn how to shoot something similar to a cero. With these new powers, he also defeated the army that attacked him rather easily

Almost instantly, Baura surfaced right above Tsukishima in an attempt to devour him. The bount on it grew confused as Tsukishima merely closed his eyes and smiled

"It's over, human!" Baura yelled as he dove right down. Before it could make contact with the fullbringer, it was suddenly wrapped by very thick vines and slammed into the ground. This also caused Sawatari to fall off from his fish

"Damn it." muttered Sawatari. It didn't take long before more vines came their way towards the bount but Baura shot off some of its rough scales to deflect all of them. This left it vulnerable as Ginjo used this chance to pierce it right in its underside

While Ginjo made sure that the fish was occupied, Tsukishima used this opportunity to stab the old bount right in the chest, causing him to cough up blood

Knowing that this was gonna be his end, at least for now and that he would probably face the kushanadas again, Sawatari had Baura fire an energy blast from its belly. It caught the fullbringer off guard and scored a direct hit, causing an explosion and leaving him badly burned

"Tsukishima!" Ginjo yelled out as his apprentice was hit critically. "Bankai, Shukyo Tobuko." he said in fury, unleashing his bankai. In his bankai state, his sword basically remained the same but grew slightly larger. His hair and eyebrows turned white, and his irises were now white with a red sclera. He then used his powers to grow even more gigantic vines. Unlike his shikai, he wasn't limited to only physically manipulating plants or vines. Now, even trees and whatever type it was. He used this to ensure that this old bount would suffer real bad by wrapping the fish in more vines. These vines however, were extremely poisonous ones. The poison caused the fish to writhe in agony as it made contact with his body

In his fury, Ginjo also decided to do the same to Sawatari. He shoved a small piece of vine down through the bount's mouth before suddenly, his body erupted in multiple thorns. As the bount was dying, the poison also finally finished off the fish and its body exploded from the poisonous substance, spitting it everywhere. Ginjo felt a sense of satisfaction as the bount met a very painful end even he was aware of the possibility he would return. This satisfaction was shortlived as he quickly rushed to Tsukishima's body. "Tsukishima!" he yelled out and checked his body to see if he was still alive. At the moment, he was but whether or not he would make it is currently unknown especially with this war having only just begun. Now Ginjo was blaming himself. If he simply used his bankai at the beginning of the battle, then his apprentice wouldn't have suffered this much. While everyone was prepared for the possibilty that this might be their last few hours alive, it still wouldn't sit well with those who would survive

Not that far from the fullbringer's Grimmjow was busy with his own fight against Yoshi. Both fighters were equally aggressive and Grimmjow even ditched his usual slightly reckless fighting style and played it safe. The same also went to Yoshi, who's powers allowed her to switch between offense and defense almost instantly. Even though she had to return to regular form when switching between offense and defense, she was more than capable of fending off attacks in that instant of vulnerability

The arrancar was enjoying himself to a certain extent. While he wanted to fight the way he usually would, Ichigo nearly sucked the life out when he even mentioned that this was gonna be fun despite him letting it go when Grimmjow mentioned killing rukongai citizens. This alone put real fear into Grimmjow and he was forced to take this battle as not a fun experience but a life or death one with actual ramifications. At first, Grimmjow was incredibly pissed off but now, he was starting to think that it was a good thing as otherwise, Yoshi would have killed him by now. The fact that he hadn't the time to master high speed regeneration further complicated things for him

Eventually, Yoshi managed to land a deep would on Grimmjow and sent him reeling back. She didn't give him any chance and quickly grabbed him by the head and slammed him into the ground. It didn't stop there as she ruthlessly run him through easily while he was down before throwing him into a building

"Pathetic. Is that all you are capable of?" Yoshi muttered after thinking she had killed the arrancar. She was then forced to dodge when a cero was suddenly fired from the rubble

"You idiot. You should have finished me off instantly." Grimmjow said venomously as he walked out of the rubble, despite his injuries. Yoshi's arrogance and bloodlust was used against her by the arrancar. Before she could ask what the arrancar was talking about, her eyes widened when Grimmjow suddenly went into a stance unfamiliar to her as his spiritual pressure was slowly but surely growing stronger. "Grind, Pantera." he yelled and the bount was pushed away from the energy released

When it died down, Grimmjow stood there with his injuries fully healed and now in his released state. "Now then, round two." he said before very aggressively attacking the female bount. His increased strength and power quickly forced her on the defensive. His attacks were even a bit too much and even cracked her armor due to the sheer force of it. Part of Grimmjow's newfound power was because Ichigo forced him, along with Gin and Dordoni, to train while everyone else was busy preparing. Although it wasn't much but some training was still welcomed

Yoshi noticed that this battle was not going in her favor. Her own bloodlust has now turned the tables due to her not taking the chance to finish off the arrancar. Now, she wasn't at all confident that she could defeat him. Attacks were coming from nearly everywhere and the fact that she could not tell if the next one was gonna be a kick or slash only made matters worse

"What's wrong? Is that all you are capable of?" Grimmjow taunted while not giving her a chance to counter attack

This pissed off Yoshi and in desperation, pushed away the arrancar and somehow managed to stop his assault. Taking this chance, she turned into a her offensive mode and forced him back. When Grimmjow retreated, she summoned some energy swords and threw them all at him. This gave Grimmjow the chance to regain the momentum by dodging at and forcing her to engage at close range. She wasn't a slouch though as they were trading blow for blow even though she was in offense move. Deciding to change the course of the battle, Grimmjow kicked her right on her feet and use this chance to force her back with the threat of her head being ripped off

This is exactly what Grimmjow wanted as he quickly inflicted a minor would on his hand before firing a gran rey cero. It missed due to Yoshi having recovered herself already and she quicky flashed behind him. It worked perfectly as this left her vulnerable to Grimmjow's Garra de la Pantera, which all five hit her and it even blew off one of her arms

'Damn it.' Yoshi thought as she reeled from her injuries

Grimmjow didn't even give her a chance as he quickly used his Desgarrón at her at point blank range, completely shredding her apart. "That's done." he said after his opponent was ripped apart. He was well aware that if she ever reappeared again, he might not get so lucky so he's gonna have to train. That is if there was a next time. Before he could move on to help someone else, water suddenly came out of the ground and engulfed him. 'What the hell...' was all he could think of before he was suddenly knocked unconscious by the water. It wasn't just ordinary unconsciousness but it put him in a critical condition due to nearly drowning in it

"Let's go pick off someone else." one of the boys controlling the water said as they watched from the top of a destroyed building before moving out

At this point, Shuren has finally managed to get rid of Yamamoto with the help of a few gargoyles. He tried to feel the battle but he felt that it was evenly matched. It was to his relief but the fact was, the battles only started. The outcome was still uncertain at this point. He felt a couple unengaged strong spiritual pressures in the western side of the seireitei so he decided to fight them. He arrived and saw Isshin and Ryuken just slaughtering any regular soldiers. Since many of the bounts and apostles were already engaged somewhere, they were basically just thinning the ranks. Shuren fired a blast of flame at the two unsuspecting targets. Isshin however, quickly reacted and fired a getsuga tensho to counter it, causing an explosion. Ryuken then used the distraction to flash behind Shuren and try to cut him down with a seele schneider but Shuren summoned his own flaming swords and blocked it

"I am Shuren, second in command of this army." he introduced himself in the most classic way

"Good to know." Isshin responded from behind by firing another getsuga tensho. Ryuken then forced Shuren's attention to himself so he would not be able to dodge. By activating his blut vene, it allowed him to take the getsuga rather easily along with Shuren

Somewhere in the northern area, the three female sternritters were busy fighting Go Koga and his spider doll. The spider's ability to extend itself was invaluable as it allowed her to fend off the three at the same time. Whenever Meninas would try to brute force the doll apart, Koga himself would join in on the fight and force her back, thereby ensure that they had the advantage in this two versus three battle

This whole situation was made much worse due to the fact that only Meninas has an ability that was suited to direct combat. Liltotto's was more suited to supporting via sneak attacks while Giselle was obviously suited to creating reinforcements. This disadvantageous powers put them on the defensive as they could only use their spirit weapons in this battle. Meninas did learn a lot about sword fighting during the last few weeks as Bambietta and Candice did train along with them but her main job was always been to ensure that Giselle could create an army. Her army however, couldn't exactly cut it as the spider would just shoot some metal balls around and punch through her ranks easily. If she was to create more zombies, they would have to take down this guy first

Koga didn't have it so easy either. Meninas has always been constantly targetting him and her two friends would quickly provide support with their arrows whenever the opportunity presented itself. Not only that, the pink haired quincy was really strong and he was constantly on the defensive should she choose to fight him instead of the doll

Only Dalk was having an easy time. While she couldn't really block all the arrows, her attacks were powerful enough that if it ever made contact, it would cause serious damage. "Stand still, would ya?" she complained as every metal ball or if she extends her limbs at them, which they easily dodge. This was getting nowhere as the real threat was Meninas, who had enough brute strength to rip her apart. Liltotto also posed a similar problem as she hadn't revealed her powers yet. She observed her partner, who at the moment, was busy engaging Meninas in a sword with him using a battle axe made from her own metal. This did leave her wide open and Liltotto was able to fire a very powerful arrow right at her body, blowing it off. "Damn you." she cursed as she reeled back

That arrow was nothing more than a ploy to get the spider to reveal as much of her powers as she could. It worked as Dalk regenerated the part that was blown off before firing multiple metal balls all over the place, forcing the quincies to dodge. Meninas saw that Dalk was occupied and quickly kicked away Koga before grabbing the doll and ripping it apart. Koga quickly recovered from the kick but was assaulted by Giselle's zombies, forcing him to fend him off. Dalk couldn't even help at this point due to being occupied by the brute force of Meninas. This sudden change in target was a good thing as it completely turned the tables. Meninas, who released her volstandig while fighting the doll, was near impenetrable with her blut vene activated. She didn't even need to use blut arterie because her strength was enough. This gave Liltotto and Giselle the chance they needed to end this fight as while Koga was trying to fend off the zombies, Giselle suddenly flashed behind him and kick his knee, forcing him to get down. When he turned around, he was suddenly hit by a very powerful arrow, inflicting massive damage

Dalk saw this and quickly tried to help but any ball she tried to throw would be blocked by Meninas. Dalk even tried to trap the pink haired quincy in a metal web but that proved futile as she just brute forced her way out of it. Seizing this opportunity, Liltotto decided to end this once and for all by finally revealing her powers, turning her mouth into a massive maw and devoured the bount, killing him. Dalk saw this and panicked which left her wide open which Meninas quickly took advantage of and punched the doll really hard, blowing it to pieces. She then concluded that if the bount died, the doll would disappear as well. This was true but she made the decision too soon. As a last act of defiance, Dalk used her last few seconds alive to fire massive balls of metal. Since Meninas was looking away with her volstandig dropped, she got hit at point blank range and without her blut vene, it caused serious damage. It even blew off one of her legs and part of her right body was missing. Giselle wasn't in too much of a different position as while she tried to turn Koga into a zombie, she got hit right in the upper body with the metal, completely blowing off most of her upper body along with her head. Liltotto was the only one who noticed this and was successfully able to dodge but it was too late. Her two compatriots have been killed. Just seconds after Giselle died, her entire zombie army dropped like flies

Knowing it would cause confusion as to what happened, Liltotto acted on the most important thing at the moment and that was to report what happened. "Everyone, this is Liltotto. We've defeated a sinner but Giselle's been killed. It won't be long before her zombies drop. Meninas is in critical condition."

Kukaku and Ganju quickly responded to this. At first they were gonna help Isshin since they saw him fighting some distance away but the urgency of this forced them to retreat back to the northern area. With Giselle's army gone, they would have to use their fireworks there otherwise the sinners might retake that area. "Ganju, let's go. If we stay here then the sinners might force us back the northern gate." she said and left with her brother following right behind her

Candice and Bambietta were furious at this turn of events. Like with Ginjo, none of them were particularly keen about seeing their friends die despite them knowing that this might be their last few hours. Candice decided to engage Ganryu for a bit while Bambietta flashed away to think of some kind of reaction as their numbers have just been cut significantly. It was evident as many of the gargoyles were suddenly got their hands free and split up, some heading towards their direction which she promptly blew out of the sky

"Liltotto, enough pushing. Just hold your ground at the northern gate and ensure they don't push us out. This would be bad if they forced us out and closed it." Bambietta ordered before attempted to backstab Ganryu. Everyone realized how dire this situation was. At this point, Ichigo's undead gatekeepers have basically turned into statues as to keep the gates open but Ichigo is far too busy right now to worry about controlling his undead. As such, if they are forced to retreat outside of the gate, it might give the sinners the chance to regroup and mount a proper defense despite the heavy casualties their army suffered, a chance not a single one of them wanted to take

"Don't worry about it. Ganju and I are heading there now." Kukaku said through the comms

Bambietta was then a bit relieved as now she can focus on taking out her anger on this sinner they were fighting

Bazz B was in the middle of burning these tiny flower mouse thing from Mabashi. Out of all the battles, he probably had the best matchup. His powers just allowed him to easily burn through anything Mabashi throws at him. It also worked in his favor that Mabashi wasn't a personal fighter as even though Bazz B intentionally left himself open a few times, the bount didn't take advantage of it. It did get incredibly annoying as the bount seemed to be able to be able to summon an infinite number of these mice and the fact that he had a small army accompanying him only added to the irritation. Of course, none of these were a challenge to Bazz B as his powers allows him to engage at a distance. Like with everyone else, he has also become slightly adept at weilding a sword so as to not be limited to fighting only ranged battles. Suddenly, Liltotto spoke through the comms and informed him of the situation

'Damn it. This is bad.' Bazz B thought when Liltotto mentioned that Giselle's been killed. Nearly half of their army was gonna follow in the next few seconds and if they were forced out the gate, they would have to rotate a long distance just to be able to reenter this place

"You shouldn't space out in the middle of a battle." the mouse, multiple Ritz said as she charged right at him

Bazz B wasn't fazed by this and quickly unleashed burner finger four, intending to finish his battle now. Because he has been using only burner fingers one or two thus far, this amount of flames completely caught Mabashi off guard. In one go, Bazz B incinerated all of the Ritzes along with the entire army. Mabashi was able to barely dodge the flames and head to a rooftop but it was futile. Bazz B quickly flashed behind him and fired a massive arrow aimed at the back of his head, blowing it off. During this whole battle, Mabashi was really starting to regret not controlling any of the prisoner soul reaper. As soon as he finished off the bount, Bazz B quickly rushed to head somewhere else. Because of his powers, he would be able to provide incredible cover and decided to first repel a potential sinner counter attack at the northern gate

Cang Du on the other hand, grew curious at his own battle. His opponent seemed to be controlling some weird tadpole shaped objects that had eyes on its front. "What is this?" he wondered aloud as the tadpoles weren't doing a thing. He quickly summoned a sword and sliced many of them but more came. After slashing for quite some time, he gave up. These things weren't doing anything and they seemed not to be particularly harmful. "What?!" he said aloud when Liltotto reported her situation. Like with Bazz B, he quickly realized the predicament they were in and decided to just hold the position at the gates. Before he could leave, the tadpoles suddenly emitted light before he was grabbed by the leg by something and thrown into a building. This confused Cang Du but whoever he was fighting gave away his tricks very quickly as the attack only came when the light shone. Another arm soon appeared and it transformed into a sword. Cang Du noticed this and quickly moved to dodge. He was well aware that this battle would go nowhere if it keeps up like this so he decided to keep his powers a secret

Ugaki on the other hand, was inside an underground room near where his doll was engaging. He was well hidden that his spot wasn't so obvious. This was a good thing as like with Mabashi, he wasn't a personal fighter. When he noticed the quincy acting surprised, he figured it must be through a communication device and judging from his tone, something bad has happened. As such, it fell to him to keep this quincy occupied as much as possible. This was a much easier task than killing him as the quincy was agile enough to easily dodge any attacks

Cang Du was still busy dodging whatever weapons were sprouting out of the ground. Based on how whoever was controlling this is fighting, he concluded that he wouldn't be that good on a personal battle. This was just a working theory and could thus very well mean the end of him but he had to take a chance. This entire battle could turn around if they are forced out even one of the gates as that would give the sinners time to concentrate on the arrancars' forces. Of course, this would be easier said than done as the four espadas were far more powerful than the quincies. Cang Du then instead decided to just roam around. If he could feel anything out of the ordinary, then that might point out to where the one controlling this thing is. After a while of just randomly flashing, he realized that if he got to a certain distance, the thing would try to force him back. This gave Cang Du the clue that the one controlling it was in the area where he first encountered the tadpoles

This however, was proving to be an annoying task. It would only be a matter of time before a sinner army converged in the northern area and with only Liltotto and the shibas guarding it, it would cause a problem. Cang Du decided to reveal his powers when a sword from behind was coming at him, causing it to merely bounce of him. He didn't even need blut vene to repel it. He then decided to flash in the nearby area and soon came across a suspicous doorway. The building it was on was destroyed yet there was a neatly placed door on the floor. That door didn't even get a single scratch. Cang Du quickly busted the door open and found Ugaki, who panicked as the bount was so occupied with controlling his doll

"Please, no!" Ugaki yelled in desperation as he did not want to face the kushanadas again. His please fell on deaf ears as Cang Du quickly summoned a bow and shot an arrow right at him, creating a hole in his chest that nearly cut off his upper body from the rest. This also caused the tadpoles to just drop down a few seconds after Ugaki was killed. With his hands now free, Cang Du quickly rushed over towards the northern area to rendezvous with Liltotto

The visored were at the south eastern area of the seireitei. They were completely oblivious to the situation that the quincies just found themselves in. At the moment, they were engaging an army of the sinners that was attempting to relocate themselves towards the eastern area and began pushing them back towards the south. They didn't really have that much of a problem as they weren't as weakened by the effects of their cuffs or whatever it was that was used to keep them locked up, unlike the lieutenants. What did surprise them was the fact that more gargoyles that came from a different area of the battle suddenly came their way. Naturally they managed to hold their own but the sheer numbers of them were starting to take their toll especially when you factor in that they've been imprisoned for nearly a week with their powers suppressed

The final nail in the coffin is that the army suddenly disengaged and retreated

"Why are they retreating?" Lisa asked cautiously

"Who cares? Let's chase them down." Hiyori declared but it was a mistake as she was suddenly blasted by a jet of flame, completely scorching her

"Hiyori!" Shinji yelled as she and the other visored watched their friend get burned. If she didn't get medical attention soon, she was gonna die

"Who did that?!" Kensei yelled out but he too was blasted by another jet of flames. Fortunately, he was able to react in time and since he was already in shikai, he managed to dodge the worst of it

Their answer soon came in the form of a rain of fire from one of the buildings that wasn't completely destroyed by the battles against Ichigo's undead nor the explosive charges he placed. The visored were all hit by the flames but none of it was as intense as the jet of flames that knocked Hiyori out of the fight but they still got burned a little

Hachi quickly attempted a counter attack and aimed his fingers at where the flames were coming from "Hado four, byakurai." he yelled out. While he wanted to use a stronger kido, this was the only thing he was sure that would work given their weakened state. This surprisingly caused the rain of fire to end

"What was that?" Mashiro wondered aloud. Before anyone could even tell her to keep her guard up, a flame construct suddenly appeared behind Shinji and shot a jet of flame at him, knocking him into a building, unconscious. Unlike Hiyori however, he was more resilient and as such, was guaranteed to survive but in their weakened state, he wouldn't joining this fight

"Shinji!" Lisa yelled and quickly cut the contruct, sending it reeling. Rose and Love quickly released their shikais and tried to attack but the construct just disappeared

It reappeared somewhere else before shooting another jet at the duo, this time, with more intense flames. Love's giant shikai blocked most of the blast but Rose was not so lucky and was completely scorched

"Damn you! Come here and fight." Kensei said and tried to charge the construct. It didn't work as a someone suddenly flashed in front of him and kicked him back before he was suddenly slammed to the ground. His attacker quickly summoned a flaming sword not dissimilar to Shuren's and attempted to run him through right in the head

The attacker wasn't able to as Mashiro and Lisa quickly attempted to attack her from the sides. The two were unsuccessful as two more flame jets came their way and forced them back. This distraction however, did allow Kensei the chance to regroup with the others

"Lady Yoshino, you should let me do the fighting." the construct said out

"Don't worry about it, Goethe. We're in this war together and we can't afford to sit idly." the girl, now identified as Yoshino replied

"Perhaps you shouldn't talk when you're in the middle of a fight." Kensei said scoldingly as he and Love attacked. Kensei from the front and Love from behind. Mashiro and Lisa also joined in from the sides

Yoshino wasn't fazed by this and merely jumped up as her doll merely fired multiple jet streams. This gave the visored the conclusion that the real problem was the flaming construct. She was well aware that the visored just arrived at this conclusion and she was about to make them regret jumping to conclusions that quick. Yoshino quickly engaged Kensei with her flaming sword and surprisingly, she was able to quickly overpower the captain, although them not being at full strength did work to her advantage while Goethe distracted the other three

Hachi tried to help but he was forced instead to use a barrier on himself as another jet of flames was headed right for him. Goethe focused on the other three while Yoshino would pick them off one by one

Kensei was in complete shock at how powerful the girl he was facing. While he would never underestimate any opponent, it was still surprising and Yoshino noticed his shocked expression. Not giving him a chance, she suddenly used her sword to create a jet of fire similar to the construct accompanying her. Like with the other two, he was completely scorched and since it was point blank range, his condition was worse than Hiyori and Rose. Now, three of them were killed and they haven't even put a scratch on their opponent

"Kensei!" Mashiro yelled and tried to backstab the bount but of course, there was still Goethe, who shot a jet of flame at her

"Focus, Mashiro. We won't get anywhere if we don't take this fight seriously." Lisa said reprimandingly

Yoshino set her eyes on Hachi as she knew he was the one who used that kido. While she wasn't sure just how much power he had as they had just escaped their prison, she didn't want to take the chance to be suddenly bound by a bakudo and targeted him first. She summoned another flaming sword and charged right at him while Goethe forced the other visored together by firing flame jets at different directions

Hachi saw this and tried to use sajo sabaku to bind her but she merely swatted it away. Caught off guard by it, Hachi thought he too was gonna die. The other visored also thought they were gonna die as the flames surrounded them. Just when they were about to be killed, an arrow was suddenly shot, forcing Yoshino to change directions while a volley was soon shot and it completely dispelled the flames

Everyone looked at where it came from and saw Uryu standing atop a destroyed building. "Leave her to me. You are in no condition to fight someone of this caliber in your current state." he ordered with a stern face. The visored didn't even hesitate as even though they were furious, they knew he was right and they most certainly could not afford to fight among each other now. They quickly went to where Shinji was knocked into and took him to safety, if there was a safe place anyway

"Who are you?" Yoshino asked as she watched her prey leave. Killing three out of eight in a short amount of time wasn't that bad. "No matter. They shouldn't be able to get that far in the state they're in." she said and the moment she did, her doll quickly shot a jet of flame at Uryu

Having observed the battle, Uryu was well aware that his abilities matched up well against this one. All he had to do was get her to scorch him with his blut vene activated so he could instantly turn the tables with his power. The only problem was the fire elemental. He can't afford to get burned by it instead of the girl. As he was busy dodging random jets of flames, Uryu made sure that Yoshino couldn't get too far away as he needed to be hit. Just before he engaged the bount, he was informed of the situation with Giselle but he was too far away. He would have to leave it to his allies. Eventually, Yoshino herself got involved and fought the four eyed quincy in a sword fight. She got a bit too comfortable with him being on the defensive while Goethe shot out flame jets, which was easily dodged

Realizing that the fire construct might leave him vulnerable, Uryu fired an arrow right at it, completely destroying it. It wasn't a surprise as other than Ichigo, he was the strongest quincy alive with his incredibly lethal powers and decent fighting skills. While naturally he wasn't as good as Bambietta or Candice when it comes to swordfighting, his archery more than made up for it and when combined with his intellect and epithet, made him the most lethal quincy alive, only rivaled by Askin

When the fire construct exploded due to the arrow, instead of disappearing, it's separated flames instead went towards Yoshino which then turned into some sort of armor. Uryu was surprised at this turn of events and it left him open before he could realize what was going on. Yoshino was quick to take advantage of this as she flashed right behind the quincy and unleashed a huge torrent of flame, completely scorching him

On first glance, it would seem that Uryu was killed then and there but he wasn't. Since he never dropped his blut vene, he was able to survive and he was still conscious however, he was in a very weakened state, in other words, what he was going for. Uryu then activated his powers and instantly reversed their situations. Yoshino suddenly dropped to the ground and was the one feeling all the injuries despite her normally being immune to flame damage

"What? How?" Yoshino asked in complete surprise while she was struggling to get up due to her injuries

"Sorry, but you made a fatal mistake of revealing your powers too soon." Uryu said coldly before firing an arrow right at her head, killing her, for now

Uryu then decided to retreat towards the northern area. Since he was far away, that would take a while so he would have to kill any sinner army he comes across trying to converge on that area

Meanwhile, Yoruichi has finally managed to reach where Kyoraku was supposed to be. She was already informed about the situation with Giselle but she really couldn't do anything about it as she was busy fighting off another army. Fortunately for her, the gargoyles didn't bother to engage her as they were busy heading to the north. When she finally managed to defeat them, she arrived at the area. It made total sense that the army she engaged didn't relocate anywhere as they were guarding a few buildings that haven't been reached by the conflict yet. There were only a few dullahans left guarding the place, which she disposed off rather easily. She then searched the entire place and even the underground prison but found nothing. She thought about heading inside to muken but that was another problem, the key. "What? Kisuke, this is Yoruichi. I'm at the location and Kyoraku isn't here. I won't be able to enter muken though as it's locked." she said

"I see. Just hold your ground there, Yoruichi. I found the key stashed away here. I'm coming to you now." Kisuke said before quickly leaving the area

"You won't find anything in there." a familiar voice called out

Yoruichi turned around and saw someone she knew. "Jin Kariya, am I right?" she asked

"It seems you remember me." Kariya said smugly. "I'm sorry, but I was well aware that you would mount a counter attack sometime soon so I had them relocated to the southern area knowing that you might look for them." he said with a smirk

"Don't you think it's stupid to just tell your enemies where your holding your prisoners?" Yoruichi asked playfully with her own smirk

"Not at all. Even if you release them, they would be too weak to put up a proper fight. Besides, this time, I won't be holding back." Kariya said as he summoned his wind blade

"Good to know. I won't either." Yoruichi said as he drew her zanpakuto. "Haunt the living, Kurorei Sei." she said and her zanpakuto became incredibly translucent with her now sporting two wrist blades each as long as a shortsword.

Dordoni on the other hand, had already disposed of a large army, gargoyles included, when he was in his resurreccion mode. Due to the cyclones produced in his released state, not a single ghoul, dullahan or gargoyle could even touch him. This was around the time when Giselle was killed so the sinner army he fought suddenly had no one to fight so they tried to relocate to the northern area to retake it. However, Dordoni ambushed them and relieved some of the pressure off the quincies who held their ground in that area. After the deed was done, he was suddenly drowned when water came out of the ground and engulfed

"Another traitor is dead. Let's move on." the ones responsible said from afar as Dordoni was knocked unconscious. It wasn't sure if he was dead but what was certain is that he is out of this battle

In the meantime, Byakuya's group was still busy searching. Even though the battles are still raging, most of the sinner army were now occupied and that gave them free room to search. Even the gargoyles were busy somewhere else but if they looked at the sky, there were significantly less gargoyles flying around, courtesy of the quincies and arrancars who targetted them first before they were engaged. Their group were still in the southern area, where it was once the squad one barracks. What really surprised them is that they somehow ended up near the Kuchiki Manor

"Brother, are we near the manor?" Rukia asked in surprise, not believing that despite the battles, they somehow made it here

"It seems so." Byakuya said simply as he climbed to the top of a partially destroyed building and saw the manor

"Keep your guard up you two. We might get ambushed here." Toshiro reprimanded the Kuchikis

"I don't see anyone there. Maybe we should search it in case the sinners chose to hold some captives there." Renji suggested. The other three agreed to this but the moment they left the building, water suddenly came from the ground and in completely knocked the two lieutenants unconscious

"Renji! Rukia!" Byakuya yelled out when he saw his sister nearly drown along with his lieutenant

"You got reckless. You shouldn't keep your guard down like that in the middle of a war." a voice from somewhere said mockingly

The two captains didn't know who or what attacked them. Toshiro decided to take a huge gamble. If their opponent's power was to control water, then he should be able to take advantage of it the same way he did during his fight with Harribel. Of course, the opposite was also true so he had only one shot at this. His experience during his fight with Harribel allowed him to come at this conclusion almost instantly, which was no surprise given that he has always been a perceptive one

"Byakuya, get back!" Toshiro yelled out as he released his bankai

Byakuya didn't even hesitate to follow his colleague and when he saw that he went straight into bankai, he released his own bankai and used the blades to protect him and the two unconscious lieutenants. Toshiro then quickly used his bankai to freeze a very large area around them

The two bounts, Ho and Ban, were caught completely off guard by this and they were quickly frozen solid along with their dolls. The ice also made it a lot easier to see anything odd and the moment Byakuya laid eyes on two humanoid shaped ice, he quickly attacked them and shattered the ice, killing the two boys

"Did we get them?" Toshiro asked as he sealed his bankai, that quick move taking a lot out of him

"We did. I saw only two people frozen in ice and I shattered it. If we didn't get them, then we would be dead by now as they should be able to use your own ice against us." Byakuya pointed out. The real problem they had now though, was because of the water entering the two lieutenants, they were now in critical condition as well. "Let's head inside the manor. Maybe we can find something inside to help them or any information as to where the others are." he said as he picked up Renji. Toshiro then did the same to Rukia and they quickly headed out

The arrancars however, were having a fairly easy fight. Knowing what was at stake, they quickly released their resurreccions from the get go. Even in their released state, their opponents were able to keep up with them

Even though he wasn't at full strength, Utagawa managed to hold his own against Starrk's released state. Part of it could was because out of all the sinner fighters, he had the most support due to having returned from hell and he even rushed to reform himself. Only the soul society's ambient reishi allowed him to get back to near full strength. But what really allowed him to fight was his doll. With his ability to animate objects into snakes, it gave Starrk quite a bit of trouble even though they were barely scratching his hierro as it did leave him open to attack by the bount. Not only that, his doll would also create a snake net to block any attack. Needless to say, despite Starrk's superior powers, the bount was able to hold his own and from the way he was fighting, it seemed obvious that his goal was only to keep Starrk occupied until someone of appropriate strength could take him on

Nel had also released her resurreccion. Benin was not at all intimidated when the arrancar turned into a centaur but she was being pressured. However, being in the shape of a centaur rob Nel with a lot of her mobility and as such, it actually ended up working in Benin's favor. It wasn't that simple though as Nel had specifically trained to cover her reduced mobility by being able to use sonido even in this state. While she wasn't as fast as she would be in her sealed form, it still allowed her to pressure the sinner as attacking from behind would result in a painful back kick while attacking from the sides would result in powerful bala blasts. This tactic allows Nel to force her opponent to fight her directly without resorting to backstab attacks

Harribel was in an annoying predicament. Her opponent had an incredibly tricky ability. He had the ability to absorb her water attacks and then fire it right back as an energy blast. It was similar to Jushiro's shikai but the main difference was that it doesn't necessarily have to be on the sword. On Taikon, it could be anywhere where he would form a giant pair of lips. Knowing that this was gonna get nowhere, Harribel instead opted for close quarters combat. She was able to almost instantly able to overpower her due to her intentionally blasting him with water, which he quickly absorbed. When he fired it back , it left him vulnerable and Harribel quickly took advantage of them. Based on how he was fighting, it seems that he wasn't that adept at fighting at close quarters and instead used his incredibly resistant body as his main defense

Ulquiorra on the other hand, was having an easy time. Fighting someone who uses brute force is no problem for someone like him. He even managed to force his opponent into not detach his arm with the threat of it being completely sliced in half. The only thing that was troublesome is that the sinner was also capable of moving at high speeds, although it was nowhere near the speed Ulquiorra possessed. This was rather annoying as it could potential drag the battle longer not to mention that the sinner possesed something similar to a hierro, which made it tricky to cut him. For most of their battle, Ulquiorra had the sinner on his toes due to his superior speed but it seems that even a cero oscuras won't easily kill him

When all four espadas were in the middle of their battle, they suddenly heard Liltotto report that Giselle was killed and that her army was gonna follow soon. Realizing the situation they were in, the four of them decided that they need to end their battles now and hold positon at the eastern gate and hope that someone could help the quincies hold the northern gate. Since they were about even despite in their released state, the four decided to use it

The four of them soon emitted spirit energy. Starrk released blue, Nel pink, Harribel golden and Ulquiorra light green. All of these energies were outlined black and their spiritual pressures continued to raise higher and higher

"Resurreccion, segunda etapa."

* * *

**Talk about one hell of the chapter. This is the longest one I've made thus far. It's even longer than the explanation part when Ichigo was in hell. I was originally going to put all the battles in the seireitei into one chapter only but when I looked a the list of battles I made, nope. Not gonna happen. I literally had planned sixteen battles and there was no way that was gonna fit into one chapter, unless I wanna do like twenty thousand word one, which I didn't. I also considered splitting it into three chapters instead but I decided against it. I want the battles in the seireitei to be finished before next monday because college might start. While the chapters that contain a lot of battles like this are really fun to write, they're also very time consuming so I just decided to split it into two. The next chapter is probably gonna be as long or slightly longer than this one**

**Tell me, were those battles brutal? Well, this is war. It doesn't matter if you're a man, woman or child. You will suffer, one way or another, if you somehow get involved in a war. If you think that this was too brutal for a war then I think you really need to understand what war is. While I'm at it, I might as well explain something that might end up in confusion. I made the quincies hold the gate so they won't be forced back. Considering how wide the seireitei is, if they're forced out and the gate closed, they would have to rotate outside and that would take a lot of time not to mention that the arrancars have already gained significant ground. As such, they cannot afford the chance and lose a lot of time. When I first planned this, Liltotto was the one I originally planned to kill but when I wrote it, I changed it to Meninas and Giselle. That way, this war wouldn't go entirely in the favor of Ichigo's allies. Speaking of allies, those who were in critical condition are probably gonna die but at the moment, I haven't completely made up my mind**

**Also, I probably messed up. I did mention that Starrk and Harribel pushed from the eastern gates in the previous chapter which leaves only the northern gate the ones for the quincies. When I read the previous chapter, I really couldn't find where I placed them right before the attack, which is what I originally wanted. I'm probably gonna have to redo this if I made some continuity errors but I really didn't find any, other than that one**

**About the battles, some of the shorter ones weren't because I rushed this chapter. When you think about it, if you are not adept at fighting the enemy personally, like Mabashi and Ugaki, there is no way you would ever survive if your enemy forces you to fight him personally. That is why some of the battles were really one sided as one of the fighters involved were not used to fighting their battles themselves while the battles that involved competent fighters were longer because, well, both sides can fight**

**That's about it I guess. Please don't hate me for making it this long **

**Translations:**

**Shukyo Tobuko - C****ursed Giant, Fallen Tree **

**Kurorei Sei - ****Black Ghost Voice**


	63. Chapter 62

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Sixty Two - The Final Battle III: The Last Stand**

**-Soul Society-**

Candice decided to engage Ganryu on her own, for now. Bambietta had decided to take some distance away to think things through after hearing about Giselle's death. In their little group of five, she and Bambietta were always partnered with each other. Part of that is because they have been friends even before they met the other three but also because of how their powers work. Only the both of them have powers that are suited to both close quarters and ranged combat without resorting to their spirit bows. While Bambietta's would end up blowing herself if she's too reckless, it is made up for her incredible swordsmanship skills and she could always combine it with her powers for unexpected explosion attack. Candice's ability to just shoot lightning bolts or use it as blades also allows her to be a versatile fighter. Unlike these two, Meninas, Giselle and Liltotto's powers were not suited for versatiltiy and thus have to rely on spirit weapons. It was for this reason that their main fighting style was always for Bambietta and Candice to head first into the enemy while the other three would provide support in one way or another

Ganryu and Candice were engaged in a sword lock. Right before Bambietta left, he noticed her frown before leaving, which led him to conclude that something happened that didn't go in their favor. This made him inwardly smirk but he knew he couldn't get cocky. Them fighing two on one has been incredibly taxing especially with how they attacked with great coordination. One might even think they were communicating telepathically. But when Bambietta left, Ganryu finally got some breathing room. He could use his powers to just kill this girl but decided against it. Instead, the two of them ended up clashing with their swords with Candice having the upper hand. Her fighting style was very difficult to read as one second she is using her right hand and on the next, she could instantly switch to her left or just dual wield. Not only that, she would sometimes fire of some lightning bolts when he doesn't expect it

This versatile fighting style allowed the green haired quincy to continuously put pressure on Ganryu, as he was forced to keep blocking. He attempted to turn the tables by quickly grabbing a dagger from his belt and tried to stab her with it. Candice was hit but she had activated blut vene so it barely scratched her. This did allow the sinner the chance and he kicked her away before attempting to bisect her. Now, Candice was crouching as she was trying to prevent the sinner from cutting her in half. Ganryu attempted to just kill her by grabbing his second sword and trying to run her through. It didn't work as Candice quickly used one hand to blast him with a lightning bolt, pushing him back. She didn't really care if she revealed her powers while he hasn't. At this point, either Kariya should have already reported about her powers or someone saw it from afar

When Ganryu recovered from the blast, he realized it inflicted quite a bit of damage but he had no time to think it through as another lightning bolt was suddenly heading his way. He quickly dodged at but when he did, Bambietta suddenly flashed behind him in an attempt to backstab. She managed to inflict a wound on his back but quickly moved away as the lightning bolt finally reached him

Ganryu was right, earlier, these girls weren't fighting that hard but after one of them left, they suddenly became aggressive. Whatever it was, it seems that he could no longer hold back. He decided to use his powers to fade from sight

When the smoke from the lightning cleared, the girls became cautious as their enemy was gone yet the did not see him leave nor was there any trace of movements. Having been told about Ichigo's abilities, the two quickly deduced that he must have something similar. Fighting back to back, Candice fired a huge barrage of lightning bolts in front of her while Bambietta caused the area to explode. While none of these were able to score a direct hit, it did force Ganryu out of hiding and Bambietta quickly engaged him in another sword fight

Ganryu was even more on the backfoot now as Bambietta was even more skilled with a sword than Candice was. When she had a clear shot, Candice fired an arrow right at the sinner. Left with no other choice, Ganryu decided to finally reveal his powers. As the arrow was heading to him, a light green colored rock from out of nowhere suddenly formed and blocked the attack. To his surprise, Bambietta kept her focus and kicked his knee, causing him to lose his balance before trying to run him through. He barely managed to form another rock that pushed her away. He then quickly summoned another rock and launched it her way

Bambietta saw this and quickly blew it up. It caused the rock to shatter into small pieces but when it made contact with her, it clouded her senses a little. The world appeared to be tilting every few seconds. It was no ordinary rock. If you make contact with it, it is gonna mess up your ability to fight

When Bambietta blew up the rock, Candice quickly engaged the sinner on her own in another sword fight. After a few seconds of fighting Ganryu on her own, she noticed Bambietta was holding her head. Candice immediately knew what that meant and that was the rock summoned by the sinner was somehow clouding the senses. It seems that despite their advantage, Ganryu could turn the tables against them

After she blew up the rock, Bambietta grabbed her head due to her senses being clouded. After a couple minutes of trying to regain her footing, she noticed that Candice was fighting him. Realizing that only one of them can have their senses clouded, their only choice was to finish him off before any other effects could take its toll. When the opportunity presented itself, Bambietta flashed towards Ganryu and delivered a very hard kick, forcing him to the side. Candice also joined this quicky by slamming him into the ground before unleashing a huge lightning bolt. When she noticed her position, she quickly retreated back towards her friend as her attack did cause an explosion

Ganryu recovered almost instantly and fired some energy blasts that were similar to a cero. This caused the girls to dodge it which the sinner took advantage of by firing even more rocks. Quickly reacting, Bambietta blew up the ground in front and used it to block the rocks while Candice shot a large lightning bolt right at him as the ground exploded and both attacks hit the sinner. The smoke cleared but revealed an incredibly burned Ganryu from the green haired quincy's attack

Now deciding to duel wield, Ganryu tried to take them head on but it didn't work. He was quickly and easily overwhelmed, suffering multiple injuries in the process. When he attempted to retreat, Bambietta fired a barrage off reishi bombs, which forced him to try and block it while she used that distraction to cut him across his torso. She then quickly moved out of the way as Candice hit him with an even stronger lightning bolt

Ganryu was sent flying but before he could be attacked again, he flashed towards Bambietta and run a dagger through her torso from behind before managing to cut off her sword arm since she was using blut arterie the whole time. Before he could do anything more, Candice flashed behind him and returned the favor, slicing his left arm. This did stop Ganryu from killing Bambietta but he did managed to cut Candice across her torso. Him turning his attention proved to be a mistake as Bambietta released her volstandig and forced Candice back before causing an incredibly large explosion. Candice took this chance and decided to use her own volstandig before using her electrocution technique, completely frying him to the bone. When the technique ended, Bambietta run him through before blowing him up, sending his severed body parts flying all over the place. Even though she had her arm sliced off, all she had to do was activate blut vene so she won't die from the bleeding

"Bambi, you okay?" Candice asked in worry as she approached her

"I'll be fine." Bambietta said, fully powering up blut vene. It did stop her bleeding but only for so long. "We'll just have to hope everyone finishes this war soon." she said weakly as Candice decided to put Bambietta's arm around her neck and help her walk. "Thanks."

"Come one. Let's find some safe place." Candice said as they walked away

In the eastern battles

"Resurreccion, segunda etapa."

When the four espadas muttered those words, the sinners were completely surprised. None of them have even heard about a second stage resurreccion. That wasn't all. The espada's spiritual pressure quickly went through the roof the moment they released it

"What? What is this?" Utagawa asked in a panic as the energy from the release died down

Starrk stood there in a new form. He is completely shirtless save for a sleeveless vest and pants that are composed of jagged black spirit energy, with flame-like blue spirit energy emanating from his hips and thighs. He also wears long, dark gray gloves that have light gray lines running down the arm sections and only cover his middle fingers and thumbs. Instead of an eyepatch, Starrk now has flame-like blue-black spirit energy covering his left eye, as well as a red flame tattoo around it, and his right eye has red sclera and a thin black pupil. His hair, now gray, is hip-length and tied in an unkempt ponytail at the back, emanating blue-black spirit energy from its tip. His pistols are now one handed and are largely black, with the light gray-colored design of a crescent moon unleashing rays of light on the barrels and a stylized wolf skull at the base of the grip. He also wears knee-length heeled boots of a similar design and material, resembling assault rifles at the back and top, and which emanate blue-black spirit energy from the base of the heels

"Sorry, I don't really like doing things like this but I've got no other choice." Starrk said with his voice slightly echoing

Utagawa immediately panicked at this and attacked, along with the remaining troops he has. This was a bad idea as with a single blast from his pistol, Starrk completely got rid of the entire army. Now growing even more panicked, Utagawa grabbed a nearby sword and attacked the arrancar. To his complete and utter surprise, Starrk suddenly flashed away and he wasn't even able to keep track of his movements, unlike earlier. He didn't realize where the arrancar has gone and just stood there. This left him wide open as Starrk was behind him with his gun point right at him. The arrancar then used his ultimate technique, Revólver de Los Lobos and completely destroyed the bount by firing a blue green cero right at him. Even though the bount managed to use his snake net, it wasn't enough as the cero blasted right through it and killed him, yet again

With Nel

Like with Utagawa, Benin was shocked at the amount of power that the one she was facing was releasing. It surpassed anyone within the twelve apostles, even Shuren, who was the strongest among them. Right now, she was suddenly not so confident at all, and for good reason

"What is this power? I've never even heard of this." Benin said in shock and panic

Like with her previous opponents, Nel didn't bother to answer as after all, first rule of battle is to never reveal your tricks. Now, her appearance is different from her first resurreccion. All traces of her hollow mask vanish and are replaced by four curling black-and-white horns that jut upward from her head. She retains her equine lower body, though the fur is now darker in areas and extends to cover her upper body, arms and hands. Glowing pink markings extend from her torso to her chest and shoulders. Fur identical in color to her hair forms on her back and her tail, the end of which blazes with pink spirit energy. Nelliel's eyes become darker and her pupils turn slit-shaped. Her weapon changes from a dual-ended jousting lance to a stylized spear blazed in pink spirit energy

Without so much as saying a word, Nel flashed in front of Benin and completely pinned her down with great force. In fact, the force was so great that Benin wasn't able to hold her off before being forced to retreat or she was gonna be cut in two. The instant she recovered herself, Nel already fired a pink energy blast from her lance. It scored a direct hit and it inflicted a significant amount of damage. It didn't even cause an explosion as it just pierced the apostle, who ended up bleeding significantly

"This power. It far surpasses my own. Answer me. What is this?!" Benin demanded to know

"Why would I tell you that?" Nel answered coldly with echoing voice, fully revealing her intent to just kill her. This was entirely unusual for a pacifist like Nel but with everything at stake, it was completely understandable

Benin now fully realized that her opponent was not gonna show even a shred of mercy. She immediately tried another tactic and fired a few arrows from her crossbow. Chains then came from the arrows, which all missed, and bound Nel down. Using all of her power, Benin charged dark purple energy from both of her hands before discharging it. This energy almost mirrored a cero but it wasn't exactly the same. The key difference was that its power depended on the ambient reishi, similar to a quincy's weapons. This energy blast scored a direct hit and caused an explosion and for a while, Benin thought she had won

Just a few seconds later, a pink energy blast of extreme density was suddenly launched from the smoke from the explosion, hitting Benin. The energy was none other than Nel's strongest technique, Lanza de Luz Gamuza. Her technique completely punched a hole right through the sinner, killing her. When her body dropped to the ground, the energy from the technique suddenly combusted and blew up, incinerating the sinner's body

With Harribel

When Harribel released her second stage resurreccion, it should come as no surprise what the sinner's reaction was. It was exactly the same as all the others, complete surprise and the sudden loss of confidence. Even Taikon, who was about the fourth or fifth strongest among them, completely lost all hope of winning

It didn't take long for the energy to die down and Harribel stood there in a new form. In this form, Harribel remains unmasked as in her normal Resurrección, and the lightning bolt-shaped marks on her face gain an extra jagged section while moving closer to her eyes, which glow bright blue. Her hair turns completely white, with several long braids reaching to her knees at the back and two bangs framing her face. Harribel gains two black-and-white, jagged, rock-like, long and roughly triangular ornaments on her head, one on either side, angled toward each other, with an additional section on each extending outward from her head, resembling ears. Her clothing is now different. She now appears to be wearing a very thin suit that looks like it was multiple teeth of a shark put together except it was gray or black in color with the breast and neck areas being covered by long strips of yellow spirit energy, and her new armor is asymmetrical in appearance

"Intruiging transformation. It won't save you." Taikon declared with zero confidence evident in his tone

"I beg to differ." Harribel said simply with her voice now similar to the others, it was echoing

Harribel didn't even waste a single second responding to that as she just quickly slashed the sinner. Even the sinners fat defenses wasn't enough to hold it off and he was suddenly missing part of his left body, including his arm. This sent him reeling from the attack, one that he couldn't even defend himself from. Quickly, he fired a condensed spirit energy blast at the arrancar but to his surprise, she simply swatted it away like it was nothing. Harribel then launched a water attack, intending to drown the sinner

Not wanting to take the risk that he won't be able to hold off that, Taikon tried to retreat but Harribel just kept on firing. It appeared to be her la gota technique but much stronger. It ended up being a trap as when Taikon was far enough, Harribel gathered her spirit energy into her ultimate attack, Dientes de Tiburón, which turned her sword into an extremely long whip before slamming the ground. A small tremor then happened before seven geysers appeared from the ground. Unlike a normal geyser, the waters from this one suddenly swirled around each other before combining into one. The water then convered on Taikon with great pressure. Since he was surrounded by it, the sinner had no hope of escape and his body was completely destroyed by the sheer amount of pressure

With Ulquiorra

Unlike his comrades, Garogai was completely silent as he observed his opponents transformation however, he too was no longer confident at winning this battle. He could slightly feel the other arrancar's spiritual pressure also rise but Ulquiorra's was undoubtably the strongest among them

When the energy died down, Ulquiorra stood there in a new form, more demonic than ever. He now has long white hair, horns made of green-black spirit energy, four large black wings, and a blaze of green-black spirit energy on the end of his tail. A black robe covers the lower half of his body, while his chest, shoulders and arms have cracks filled with green spirit energy. This transformation was different from the first time he used it as during the course of when they began to train after they were warned about the wandenreich, Ulquiorra realized that he has not yet completed his segunda etapa and has thus focused on it. Due to him being the first one to have achieved such a state, it was only natural that his was the strongest among all the espadas

Being as quiet as they ever were, both Garogai and Ulquiorra just stood there in complete silence, waiting for the other to make a move. When it seems that neither was gonna do anything, Ulquiorra was suddenly behind the sinner and cut him with an energy sword. This time, he had more than enough strength to pierce through the sinner's body with relative ease. This attack sent the sinner reeling and he desperately tried to counter attack. None of his attacks, whether it was melee or arm detachment or spirit energy blast, was enough to even put a scratch on Ulquiorra new form

This was the first time that Ulquiorra has used his completed segunda etapa and he wanted to try to see what his limits were. He would have done so if only the situation wasn't so critical. The arrancars have to completely take control of the eastern side in the event the quincies were forced out of the northern gate. That way, even if the quincies were forced out, they would still have a significant holdings to repel a counter attack until the quincies have rotated from the outside

Deciding to end this without even trying to test his limits, Ulquiorra tucked in his wings as he gathered spirit energy. Garogai noticed this and immediately tried to attack him before the arrancar could do whatever it was that he was doing. The sinner was too late as Ulquiorra extended his wings, creating a very large tornado of black with dark green outline spiritual energy. Like with the other three, this was his ultimate technique, Tormenta de Murciélago. It caused Garogai to be thrown into the sky before he was suddenly shredded apart with his body parts being sent all over the place

With Byakuya's group

The four of them were inside the mansion. From what they can see, it has been reorganized. Even Yachiru's secret passageways were completely removed. Byakuya and Toshiro had been oblivious to what the sinners had stashed away somewhere in the mansion and instead were focusing on their search for any supplies that could help the two unconscious lieutenant

"There's nothing here." Toshiro said, returning to the main room

"The same goes here. It seems any supplies we had has been relocated somewhere else." Byakuya added with a frown

While they were trying to consider their next move, they suddenly heard a voice from down one of the corridors. They grew wary as to who it belonged to but nonetheless decided to check it out. What neither of them knew is that before they arrived, someone was already inside and has been observing them warily. This someone was aware of who the voice belonged to and who else lingered in this manor

After a while of searching with blades at the ready, they found that one of the rooms has been turned into a prison. It was even altered to ensure that the prisoners could not escape and even if they somehow managed to, getting out of the room would be another problem on its own. Inside the cell were Kyoraku, Jushiro, Soi Fon and Nanao

"Kyoraku!" Byakuya said as he and Toshiro approached their superior. Before they could even get close, an arrow was shot at the bars of the cell. It was a very weak one as it was only meant to disuade the two captains from recklessly releasing the prisoners

"What the?!" Soi Fon asked in surprise

"I'm sorry, but I cannot let you release them, not yet anyways." the source of the arrow, Uryu, said as he approached them

"What are you doing? I thought we were on the same side." Toshiro asked suspiciously

"We are but only because we know what is currently happening and what is at stake. These four..." Uryu said, gesturing to the prisoners. "...don't. If they don't see reason, then we'll have to leave to leave them inside. If you refuse to understand why, then our alliance is over. We can't afford to take any unnecessary risk, not with everything at stake." he said adamantly

"Why you! After you abandon us to this..." Soi Fon retorted before an arrow was shot literally a hair away from her

"I told you. If you decided to stand against us, then we'll have to consider you as enemies as well." Uryu responded simply

"You don't really expect us to leave them in there?" Byakuya said with narrowed eyes as he got into a fighting stance

"You can and you will. Otherwise, I will kill you right here and now." Uryu responded as he readied his bow

"Enough." Toshiro said before an unnecessary fight happened. "When did you get here, Uryu Ishida?"

"Just a few minutes ago. I defeated a sinner near this area and was moving back to the northern parts when I came across the manor so I decided to see what was inside." Uryu answered which surprised them. Then again, it didn't really matter

"Uryu Ishida, what exactly is going on that's got you all so worked up?" Jushiro asked now that things have appeared to calm down

"The soul king is destroying the three worlds. He is doing what Yhwach was originally gonna do." Uryu responded, surprising the prisoners

"Do you have any proof of this?" Nanao asked suspiciously. Instead of giving an answer, Uryu merely grabbed a phone from his pocket and showed Nanao the same thing Aizen showed to Byakuya's group

"What?! Is this for real? How did you capture footage of this?" Soi Fon asked in surprise

"Come to think of it, how did you get your hands on it?" Toshiro wondered

"Aizen wanted footage of this specifically for an occasion such as this. He was well aware that we could not afford to fight both the sinners and you people. He gave me a copy of it along with a select few and he made sure not to let Ichigo know about it." Uryu responded before deciding to get to the important parts. "Now then, are you with us or against us?"

"Even if we were to side with you, how are we supposed to stop the soul king?" Kyoraku pointed out

"Ichigo has already left for the royal palace along with Aizen." Uryu responded

"And you would really trust someone like Aizen?" Soi Fon said venomously

"We do. As a matter of fact, none of us would even be part of this attack if it wasn't for Aizen. He made sure that Ichigo would be put in a position where he would not have to take on both the sinners and the soul king alone." Uryu answered sternly. "I will ask you one more time, are you with us or against us?" he asked. During this part, both Byakuya and Toshiro were sweating bullets. They really didn't want to fight their own but would have no other choice. Uryu even seemed confident enough to take down two captains all on his own

"With you." Kyoraku responded quickly, surprising Soi Fon

"But Kyoraku..." Soi Fon tried to object

"It's the only choice we've got Soi Fon. If the worlds are truly ending, then we'll be ending along with them." Kyoraku answered before looking at Uryu. "I assume you have a plan already in motion?"

"Yes. The original plan was for Ichigo and Aizen, as well as some ancient warriors to stop the soul king while everyone else would drive the sinners out. We have already taken control of the eastern side." Uryu responded before someone spoke on the comms. "Excuse me a minute."

"This is Ulquiorra. We've secured the eastern side. The sinners won't be able to retake in now." he said as he rendezvoused with the other espada

"Alright. Someone secure the southern end. Just maybe one. There's barely anyone left here. Most of the battles are still in the west and north. Reinforce the north immediately." Uryu responded. He was the only one who could give an update as the others were still fighting

"Alright." Harribel said they cut the connection with Uryu and only focused on their fellow espadas

"I'll head on where I am and see what I can find. I'll leave the rest to you." Nel said

"I'm the closest to the south. According to Uryu, it's mostly empty now. I'll just scout out what happened." Starrk said

"Ulquiorra and I are close to the north. We'll go help out. Nelliel, don't stray too far in case of any counter attacks." Harribel said

"Will do." Nel answered before they all hung up and split up

Uryu then decided to break the locks to the cell with a single arrow. "Alright. You guys are with me. We're being pressured in the northern area and we will need all the help we can get."

"What about Renji and Rukia?" Byakuya asked, uncharacteristically of him to lose sight of the objective

"We'll deal with it later. Right now, if we're pushed out of the north gate, then the sinners will have a good chance to drive us back even with the casualties they suffered." Uryu said, looking right at Byakuya who was glaring at him

"He's right. We have to focus on the war right now." Toshiro said before leading the way outside

"We won't be of much help though. Our powers are drained after being imprisoned." Kyoraku said

"That's fine. All we'll be dealing with are their regular troops. They're fairly weak but their sheer numbers can be a problem. Let's go." Uryu said as he followed the young captain outside

During this time, Kisuke was still on the move. It was rather far from where the squad twelve barracks once was to muken. As he was moving around while trying to remain hidden, an energy blast was suddenly shot in front of him, nearly scoring a hit. He looked around and saw a sinner coming from the rubble

"You must be Kisuke Urahara, am I right?" the sinner said

"Who? Me? I'm just a shopkeeper visiting this place." Kisuke answered, hoping to avoid a confrontation. When it seemed like the sinner didn't buy it and merely frowned, Kisuke didn't even hesitate and silently released his shikai before attacking the sinner

"I was right. You really are Kisuke Urahara. I am Murakumo of the twelve apostles." he introduced himself as he blocked with his glaive

"I suppose there is no way you're just gonna let me go, right?" Kisuke asked, hoping to avoid a confrontation. The sinner didn't bother to respond which wasn't surprising as this was after all, the sinners' last stand. Sure they can come back but they have been sealed off from both hueco mundo and the world of the living

The two then started to clash swords. Kisuke wanted to lure out whatever powers this sinner possessed. Murakumo also wanted to do the same but considering the shopkeeper's intellect and power, he was more likely gonna die before he could fully lure it out. Making his choice, he instead opted to go extremely aggressive by lightly pushing back then flashing behind him. Kisuke reacted to very quickly and blocked it nonchalantly

"Hado four, byakurai." Kisuke muttered while point a finger at him, unleashing a kido lightning, forcing the sinner to disengage. "Scream, Benehime." he said, swinging his sword as the sinner retreated, releasing a red crescent energy. It scored a direct hit and inflicted some damage

Murakumo merely shrugged it off and threw his glaive at the shopkeeper, who blocked it with his blood mist shield. It was a distraction as Murakumo used his secondary weapon, which was a longsword. It was a decent choice as it allowed more mobility than his primary glaive weapon. Kisuke was caught off guard by it and was nearly cut. The sinner pressed his advantage and forced the shopkeeper on the defensive

What they both knew is that if it kept up like this, the battle wouldn't go anywhere. Kisuke Urahara was simply far too smart to be taken lightly especially with his deceptive personality. Deciding to make the first move, Murakumo fired a condensed spiritual blast in order to distract the shopkeeper which he easily blocked with another red crescent. This was another distraction so that Murakumo could fire his power, which was summoning a force field around himself and using it offensively. This was an incredibly interesting power as it was both offensive and defensive at the same time. Defensively, it blocks any attacks while offensively, it can be used to push your target away. That wasn't all. Anything that comes in contact with the field would cause it to combust, which Kisuke realized when he tried to slash it and was blasted away

Murakumo then compressed the force field into a small ball of energy and threw it at the shopkeeper, causing some damage. Realizing that this was gonna get a lot trickier, Kisuke decided to engage the sinner at close combat. Murakumo thought the shopkeeper was being naive and just blocked every single one of his strikes. When they ended up in a sword lock, the sinner once more summoned that force field but to his surprise, the moment it made contact with Kisuke, he suddenly popped

"What...?" Murakumo asked in wonder. Surely someone like Kisuke Urahara couldn't be defeated that easily. His suspicions were correct when suddenly, Kisuke was above him

"Shibari, Benihime." Kisuke said and swung his sword, releasing a blood colored net and bound the sinner. The moment it made contact with the force field, it caused an explosion. Kisuke then stabbed the net in order to enhance that explosion. "Hiasobi, Benihime, Juzutsunagi." he said and caused orbs of fire to appear on the net and caused some small explosions. When it reached the sinner, it caused an even bigger explosion and when adding the one from the force field, its blast even forced Kisuke back

The explosion took quite a while to clear but when it did, Murakumo stood there with his body severely burned, him barely being able to stand and his clothes mostly torn apart. The sinner knew he wouldn't last that much longer against Kisuke Urahara. He was frustrated that he fell victim to a simple decoy but he wasn't gonna let him get away with it. The least he could do is knock the shopkeeper out of the rest of the war. In a last ditch effort, he summoned what power he had left and created another force field that was much bigger than the others. Unlike his previous ones, he didn't release it outwards from him and instead, into one direction before circling around the both of them. He then had it slowly compress. A force field of this size should be enough to cause significant damage to the both of them and it would be more than enough to remove Murakumo from the war altogether

Kisuke noticed this and realized his mistake. He should have gone for the kill but then again, the sinner did appear dead. While Kisuke was more than willing to kill an enemy, he wasn't as ruthless as Ichigo. The shopkeeper was aware that if that field made contact with him, it would be problematic and there was no way to flash around it either. He saw the sinner had a grin on his face, all the more confirming his suspicion. Left with no other choice, Kisuke used it. "Bankai, Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame." and summoned a giant lady. The lady then effortlessly cut open a path through the force field, which Kisuke quickly used to get out of there

Murakumo noticed this and knew it was over for him. He had failed and only managed to inflict a small amount of damage on the shopkeeper. He was then killed by his own force field as it exploded when it made contact with him. Like many techniques belonging to the soul reapers, his was also lethal to its wielded. The only reason he was only damaged by it now was because his force field would not make contact with him if he used it the normal way as he summons it around him

Kisuke then approached the sinner who got killed by his own technique as he was slowly falling to the ground. Not wanting to repeat his earlier mistake, he quickly sliced off the head off the sinner in two, ensuring that he was killed. Surprisingly, Murakumo still managed to do something and that was cause his own body to explode. This caught Kisuke off guard and was hit by the powerful explosion. He awoke a few minutes later and realized that his vision has been severely hampered and one of his arms being severely burned. Since there was still a war to fight, he released his bankai again and used its powers to temporarily fix his injuries. "Anyone got any updates on the battles?" he asked as he got up, still reeling from the last explosion

"Yes. Eastern side is now secure and firmly ours. Starrk has went to secure the southern area. According to Uryu, it's mostly empty now. I'm staying here to guard the eastern side while Ulquiorra and Harribel has gone off to help the quincies in the north." Nel answered

"I see. I'll try to help out Yoruichi before heading to wherever I'm needed." Kisuke said before hanging up. Nel wanted to ask why but decided against it. Despite the friendship between the former squad two members, they both knew better than to lose sight of the objective and if Kisuke chose to help Yoruichi, then she must have found something significant

During this whole time, Yoruichi and Kariya have been going right at it. The battle was pretty much even with Yoruichi's wrist blade shikai complimenting her hand to hand combat. Kariya was also able to hold his own. Since this was their last stand, he had no reason to hold back and Yoruichi was already familiar with his powers but clearly, he just opted to enjoy this battle

The two of them kept clashing but the werecat always had the slight advantage. Kariya was on the backfoot as Yoruichi was fighting similarly to Ichigo, one second using a weapon the next switching to hand to hand and the fact that Kariya only had one blade was proving to be quite a problem. He decided to end this situation by forcing Yoruichi away with his wind powers. This did force Yoruichi back and now Kariya had the upper hand

Even with all her skill, Kariya was still able to easily keep up with Yoruichi but at least now, the bount was pushing her back. When he forced her against a wall, he attempted to use his powers to kill her but she wasn't known as the 'flash master' for nothing. It was child's play for her to dodge it and when she did, she managed to slash him across his back and slammed him into the very same wall, which now had a hole in it. Kariya immediately turned around to slash her but she merely moved back and dodged it. He then fired a wind blast again which forced the werecat to block it with her blades before rushing towards her to engage in close quarters combat again

"What's wrong? Not gonna use you're zanpakuto's powers?" Kariya asked tauntingly

"Don't sweat it. There's a reason I prefer not to use it unless I have to." Yoruichi responded playfully before kicking him in the nuts with her knee before slashing him again

"That was cheap." Kariya said as he reeled, annoyed that she actually went for it during a battle

"Hey, this is a life or death situation. You gotta do what you gotta do to survive." Yoruichi answered with a smirk before firing a kido at him

Kariya easliy dodged it before deciding to even the playing field. He gathered static electricity and turned his wind blade into a lightning blade before using it to fire a lightning bolt at her. This did hit Yoruichi as it caught her off guard and Kariya used this chance to run her through right in the abdomen before slashing it sideways. Both attacks delivered a very powerful electric shock which further increased the damage. When he pulled his back sword in order to try another assault, Yoruichi quickly used this chance to punch him with the wrist blade on her hand. Surprisingly this wasn't the only attack. He was suddenly attacked from behind just a few seconds after the first one. He turned around and saw no one. This left him wide open as Yoruichi delivered a very hard kick right to the back his head. A few seconds later, another kick was suddenly delivered right to his face but it didn't come from Yoruichi

'What? What the hell is going on? Where are these attacks coming from?' Kariya thought as he reeled from all the attacks. Kariya wasn't given any time to think about it as Yoruichi resumed her assault. Despite being run through, she was still able to fight the bount effectively and now that the bount was injured, she now had the upper hand

After receiving even more injuries, Kariya forced himself to recover before blocking her attacks. This time around, it wasn't as easy. Yoruichi has already inflicted a significant amount of damage on him while he only managed to run her through. 'Is her powers activated by injuries? If she gets injured then her attacks get echoed somehow?' he wondered. That was the only thing he could think of as all this only began after he run her through. 'I should have gone for the head.' he said before managing to cut her but to his surprise, she merely shrugged it off

As they were clashing, Yoruichi realized that at this point, Kariya should have realized what her shikai's powers was or at the very least, have an idea about it. Since all her attacks that made contact with him after she got run through was echoed, it would be foolish to think the bount doesn't have an idea. Thus, she decided to end this battle here and now. "Bankai, Kurorei Sei Yukan." she said and her wrist blades detached and combined into what appeared to be a shortsword. The blade was gray in color and it had a combination of black and yellow colors on the handle while its shape was similar to that of a claymore

When she released her bankai, Kariya suddenly felt all his injuries healed. He grinned at this as he thought the werecat made a rookie mistake before suddenly, Yoruichi was in front of him and cut him in half, killing him, for now

'What?' was all Kariya could think as he was executed. He didn't want to accept this and as a last ditch effort to spite her, he unleashed all remaining powers he had and caused the entire underground area they were on to collapse

Too exhausted from her ruthless attacks and still reeling from the injuries, Yoruichi appeared to be buried as everything was falling down. She did attempt to run but she was a bit too late and the entrance was already blocked and she was trapped

Kisuke arrived after a while and saw the collapsed doorway towards muken's direct entrace. It didn't take long to figure out what happened and he immediately tried to dig a path through the rubble. Usually, he would leave doing stuff like this for when the battle was over but from what he felt, only the western battles were still happening and they were just about ready to end. As such, this provided him the opportunity to search the rubble. It took quite a bit of time but soon, he found Yoruichi unconscious and nearly crushed by the rubble

Somewhere on the northwestern side of the seireitei, Askin has engaged the sinner that has identified himself as 'Riyan'. Like any classic battle, they just opted to lure out their opponents powers first before doing anything significant but this ended up nowhere. Ever since the two crossed paths, Riyan has directed that army in the immediate area to move on as to reduce the casualties of their troops

Riyan was aware of this and from what he felt, this was one of the stronger quincies. He then decided not to hold back and use his powers in the hope of overpowering the quincy before he could use his abilities. Riyan's own power, which was summoning swords out of nowhere and controlling them with his mind alone. This ability gave Askin quite a bit of trouble as Riyan was among the stronger ones of the apostles

Askin was forced to dodge every single one of these and that wasn't even the end of it. Riyan also seemed that he was capable of suddenly growing them out of the ground, which nearly killed the quincy. However, upon further observations, it seems that using this power does take its toll on the sinner. Askin then realized that this battle would go either way as his own ability to make himself immune to an attack was useless against his current opponent as he wasn't using any substance or energy based attack. He was forced to dodge multiple of these summoned swords as they further increased the destruction left from the battles. One thing he did notice though is that the greater the size of the sword, the more taxing it is on the sinner

Riyan began to realize that his opponent has noticed the toll his sword summoning technique was taking on him. It dawned on him that it is entirely possible that Askin could easily just stall him out until he had no energy left. As such, he stopped summoning swords when Askin was dodging before grabbing his own sword on his belt and engaged the quincy. Askin was almost bisected as the sinner came really fast but luckily, he managed to generate his staff in time to block it

This caused the two fighters to engage in close quarters combat but thanks to the toll of launching so many swords by now, Askin had the upper hand. That wasn't even including any improvement in close quarters combat he got after training since Yhwach's death. Riyan was forced on the defensive and even then, he was having a difficult time fending off the quincy. He was really starting to regret just recklessly using his powers like that. Askin did notice this and while he was forcing the sinner back, he suddenly fired his gift ball at the sinner. It caused the sinner to almost instantly collapse which Askin took advantage of by grabbing him by the neck and slamming him to the ground

Riyan was almost helpless by this technique but he realized that this was gonna be their last stand. Either they fend off their attackers or they face the kushanadas and as such, he forced himself to power through the poison and stabbed Askin with a sword coming from the ground from behind him. This was rather unfortunate as Askin had been using blut arterie thus far. Had he used blut vene then it is possible that the damage from that attack could be reduced. Now, Askin was the one sent reeling and was kicked into a building as he activated blut vene to stop the bleeding

Realizing that he could not take his opponent lightly, now Askin was the one who was starting to regret his choices. He should have just gone volstandig from the start and killed him but, better now than never and he activated his volstandig. Without wasting a moment, Askin fired a couple gift ring. Riyan noticed this and saw that whatever the quincy threw suddenly disappeared. Instinctively, he moved from the area he was standing on as to avoid any potential attack but he was literally a second too slow as the gift rings made contact with his legs and it caused him to drop to the ground, unable to move his legs

Askin decided to end this fight then and there. He tried to test what his opponent can do in his current state by summoning his bow and firing an arrow. Even though Riyan lost his ability to move his legs, he still managed to dodge it by forcing his body to roll to the side using his hands. This move however, left him unable to dodge any more attacks and Askin decided to play it safe by firing two more gift rings. With the sinner now unable to even dodge, he was helpless as the gift rings made contact with his eyes, blinding him completely. With his opponent incapacitated, he dropped his blut vene and focused on arterie as to maximize his damage potential

Now lacking the ability to see his surroundings and the fact that this was gonna be his last battle anyway, Riyan knew he only had one last trick up his sleeve in order to kill the quincy in his blinded state. Askin then used his powers to make the reishi in the air poison to the sinner but whether that would kill him was anyone's guess. He was well aware that even though he had been blinded, he could still cause significant problems if he randomly summons his sword and the fact that he could still feel spiritual pressure would mean that the sinner could end up killing someone with a random shot. It was on this possibility that Askin decided to finish him off personally and summoned his bow before taking aim right at the head

Riyan, even in his poisoned state, realized that Askin would not come close to him and knew he had to take a chance. The moment he felt an arrow being shot from somewhere, he used his last bit of strength to summon a lot of swords from the sky pointing down before they all dropped to the ground. The sinner was killed the moment the arrow made contact with him but Askin was caught off guard by the number of swords summoned. Even in such a weakened state, the sinners were truly capable fighters and since he wasn't that fast with hirenkyaku, Askin was pierced in multiple parts of his body by the swords and he fell to the ground, bleeding in his own pool of blood

Just some distance to the south of Askin, the lieutenants and Gin have engaged the sinner army. They've been occupied at it ever since. The army have focused their efforts on the northern gates as they noticed a weak spot there and many even abandoned the other fronts, mainly the eastern area once the espadas have released their segunda etapas

It took quite a few minutes before they got the army's attention but when they did, it didn't take long for them to be pushed back. They have grossly overestimated themselves and the only reason they haven't been all killed yet was Gin. He was the one who was shooting down the gargoyles that attacked them as they weren't engaging the ones who were defending the gate. This backstab attack however, did relieve a small amount of pressure on Kukaku's end, allowing her to get rid of nearly all of the gargoyles while Ganju was basically mopping the floor with the ground forces although the army was taking its toll due to sheer numbers alone and they would soon be overrun as they were engaging the majority of the sinners' remaining troops

Eventually, a few dullahans managed to sneak their way around the lieutenants and brutally stabbed Momo from behind, causing her to cough up blood. In her state of not having all of her spirit energy from being imprisoned, she was next to helpless against it

"Momo!" Izuru yelled as he was the closest but the moment he called her out, he left himself open and another dullahan quickly bisected him in half, killing him. The one that killed Momo then pulled out his spear as the female lieutenant finally died

The other lieutenants couldn't really do anything to help them as the ghouls really put on the pressure. They really were starting to regret not listening to Gin earlier but there was no time for that now as they were saved when Uryu, Ginjo, who they met along the way here as he was ruthlessly killing a sinner army as payback, Kyoraku and the others arrived. Byakuya quickly used his shikai to get rid of the entire army attacking them. Kyoraku and Jushiro also brought the bodies of the still unconscious Renji and Rukia

"Gin, what's your situation here?" Uryu asked

"Momo and Izuru have been killed just now. Every single one of the lieutenants are still weakened from being imprisoned. Tetsuzaemon was also killed by Bambietta earlier." Gin reported as they were now in the clear, for now which annoyed Soi Fon. She wanted to react on it but Kyoraku stopped her. "I heard about what happened to Giselle and since they were adamant about not retreating, I decided it would be best to head to the north to help Liltotto hold the line."

"That was a good choice but now, we've finally got some breathing room. Ulquiorra and the espadas' hold on the east is now firm and the sinners won't be able to retake it for a long time. Starrk is also now mopping up the southern area." Uryu said thoughtfully

"What about the others? Shouldn't we go help them?" Ginjo asked curiously

"From what I can feel, the only battles that are still raging are Kenpachi's, Isshin and Ryuken's, and the ones defending the gate." Uryu said as he concentrated for a bit

"Ginjo, what happened to Tsukishima?" Gin asked as he noticed his partner wasn't there

"He was killed earlier. It was my fault. I should have killed that old man right from the start." Ginjo said in a very venomous tone. "So, what do we do?"

"The rest of you, head to the north and finish off that army. It seems to be the last one standing." Uryu instructed before looking at the direction where the remaining battles still raged. "I don't think any one of us wants to get in on Zaraki's fight so I'll go check on Isshin and Ryuken."

"That battle is still gonna take a while. The one their fighting is Shuren, the leader of the twelve apostles and Kokuto's second in command. He is the strongest among all of the sinners bar Kokuto." Gin said as he realized who the duo was fighting. "He's not gonna go down easy especially since this is their last stand."

"All the more reason for me to help them. Now go. Secure the north. The sinners are on their death throes now." Uryu said and they quickly left

"Are we really gonna let them get away with killing Tetsuzaemon?" Soi Fon asked as the others moved out first

"As much as it is saddening, there are much larger things at stake and I would rather not jump to conclusions about it." Kyoraku responded simply as he followed the others. Jushiro then moved out as well before Soi Fon begrudgingly followed

Since Ichigo and Aizen made a b line for the sokyoku hill, Zaraki has merely been toying around with his opponent. He really was itching for a good fight ever since they couldn't mount an assault on the seireitei. Even though he could not wield a sword due to not having any arms, Gunjo was more than able to fend of Zaraki's strikes although part of it was due to the captain not using his full strength. In fact, he hasn't even removed his eyepatch. Gunjo's constant dodging however, did force Zaraki to release his shikai as he was getting really annoyed by it

Even with his shikai, his fighting style didn't really change and Gunjo was quick to take advantage of it. His extendable tentacles gave him a slight edge as he could always launch a sneak attack by extending them somwhere before wrapping it around the soul reaper and throwing him around. Even if Zaraki tries to cut the tentacle, it would just quickly regrow. The way he was fighting was not going in his favor despite the difference of power between them

The only thing that his shikai ever did was extend his reach since it was quite long. It did put a bit of pressure on the sinner but the way Zaraki was fighting wasn't helping him. In fact, Gunjo already managed to punch a couple holes through his body just because Zaraki let him. When Gunjo slammed him into a wall, this did accidentally remove the eyepatch and all hell broke loose. Zaraki's spiritual pressure suddenly raised to absurd levels and it was even comparable to Shuren's or even Kokuto's

With him being at full power, Zaraki used his uncontrollable spirit energy to launch an energy slash at him. It scored a direct hit and it cut the sinner's front side. He didn't stop there as Zaraki's speed has also increased and quickly began slashing up everything he could see in an attempt to kill the sinner. Any ordinary opponent would have panicked at the brute strength that the captain possessed especially when he destroyed an entire building with a single slash however, Gunjo knew better and he kept his cool. The soul reaper was being far too reckless and when he was cornered, he merely moved to the side and Zaraki caused the wall he was on to collapse. Quickly seizing this chance, Gunjo used one of his tentacles to pierce the captain right through his chest, barely missing his heart. Unlike the previous times he punched a hole, this one was a bit harder due to Zaraki no longer holding back but it still caused the captain to stop for a bit as he felt that attack. In that instant of opening, Gunjo used his other tentacle to wrap around him before slamming him twice on the ground. Before he could do it a third time, Zaraki quickly regained composure and brute forced his way out of the tentacle but as he was falling, Gunjo used his other one to quickly wrap around the leg. He then sent a very powerful stinging attack from his tentacle, completely immobilizing the captain before he fired a condensed light blue spiritual energy blast at him, slightly scorching the captain from the impact

With Zaraki temporarily immobilized and hit by an explosion, Gunjo slammed him once more as he retracted the tentacle and regrew the other one. "Pathetic. To think that we were actually concerned about you when we first came here and this is all you offer." Gunjo said as he began to leave

"Watcha doing, Kenny? Why are you lying around?" a familiar voice asked as Zaraki was laying on the ground from all those injuries especially the one where his heart was nearly crushed

"Yachiru..." Zaraki muttered weakly. He really regretted leaving himself open as the sinner could have easily killed him if he went for the heart. As he was contemplating his situation, he realized that maybe he would die here but suddenly, Yachiru's hand was overflowing with power. "Yachiru... what is...?" he asked in confusion

"Oh Kenny. This is the power that everyone calls 'bankai'. Now go out there and have fun!" Yachiru answered cheerfully before unleashing a huge burst of energy

* * *

**Here is the next one. This one took quite a bit of time to write as I've been busy doing something else. I know in the previous chapter I said that I would finish the soul society battles but I changed my mind. While I was writing this, I realized a couple things that I wanted to add and explain so I decided to just put some of the battles on the next chapter and add the explanations there. As I mentioned, the next chapters will probably take a while and I already said the reason why**

**I also added more casualties and injuries in this part of the war as otherwise, what's the point of it being a war if it's only a one sided massacre. They could have one the entire battle from the start but well, not all of them are like Ichigo. Now, let me explain some stuff I put in**

**First, Gunjo is in no way near the level of power Zaraki has. The only reason he was able to inflict that much damage on him was because Zaraki is a reckless fighter. That shouldn't be unreasonable as we all know Zaraki's character and it should be obvious that in the canon, he could have easily killed Ichigo and Nnoitra from the get go. But, since he always gives his opponents a chance, well...**

**Next thing I would like to explain is the segunda etapas. All those descriptions are from the bleach wiki so all credits go to them. I did however, change Harribel's design. She was literally almost naked in her bleach brave souls form and it really ticks me off. I just don't like it when women are sexualized so I decided to have her wear something instead but kept the design of the original bbs form. In their fights, I didn't drag it for too long as that would be overkill, even though it was already overkill but you get the picture**

**The next ones would be some of the sinners' power. For Ganryu, it's basically the same as kryptonite. The only difference is it has to make contact for it to take effect and it doesn't weaken you. The next one is Murakumo. I got that idea from a tv show I watched as a kid so I added it in but just altered it. In one episode, one character used a field generator to push enemies back**

**Here is also the one I said about giving Askin a proper fight. Whether he survives this war is something I haven't fully decided on yet. Most probably not, just like with the others in critical condition. When I checked Askin's abilities on the wiki, he was actually only a hirenkyaku practitioner so that means he isn't that fast. That's the reason why he wasn't able to get away in time and was pierced**

**Last thing I need to explain is Yoruichi's powers. It's actually quite simple. In shikai, if she gets inflicted a significant injury, any attacks that make contact with the enemy is echoed. Only significant injuries will count so that means a simple paper cut or a slight wound won't activate it. Since she is mainly an assassin due to being the former stealth force captain, this ability would prove to be counter productive so she doesn't use it and saved it for this battle. In this story, she didn't use this against Aizen because Kyoka Suigetsu is broken. There is no way she would be able to hit him and she might have ended up killing Isshin and Kisuke instead. In bankai, it gives off an aura that heals the one her shikai inflicted damage on. This is a trap ability as the one who was healed would have no chance of survival if stabbed again. Her bankai ability is useless unless her shikai has done its part**

**That's about it for now**

**Translations:**

**Kurorei Sei Yukan - Black Ghost Voice: Soothing Vibe **


	64. Chapter 63

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Sixty Three - The Final Battle IV: Victory at a Cost**

**-Soul Society- **

"This is the power that everyone calls 'bankai'."

And with that, an enormous surge of energy erupted from Zaraki. Gunjo widened his eyes. The captain's power surged so high that it literally caused a crater and utterly reduced the area to a rubble

When the energy calmed down, Zaraki stood there in in a different form. The injuries were still there but somehow, he was powering through them. Then again, that's how it always goes when one releases his or her bankai. The biggest change was his zanpakuto. It now looked like a spear with a double sided scythe right below the blade. At the other end of the spear handle was a golden crown shaped ornament. There was also a skull right where the skull and scythe parts missed

"Bankai?" Gunjo asked in complete surprise

Zaraki let out a maniacal laugh upon the release of his bankai. "If this is what I've been missing this whole time, I honestly regret not going for it sooner!" he yelled in ecstasy as he used his newfound increased brute strength to create a small fissure similar to Ichigo previously albeit smaller

The sinner dodged the attack as no matter what he did, he was most likely not gonna survive any attacks from Zaraki's bankai strength. As such, he was forced to dodge all of Zaraki's attacks. Whenever Zaraki would try to target him after a dodge, Gunjo used this change to counter attack but unlike earlier, Zaraki was now fighting like he can actually die. He was able to easily block or cut down any tentacle. Gunjo was surprised at this as now, he just lost the major advantage he had. He wasn't able to think about it for too long as Zaraki suddenly launched his spirit energy in a condensed form, hitting the sinner. Gunjo reeled back from this attack and when he recovered, he was almost instantly sliced in half by the scythes. In desperation, he used one of his regenerated tentacles to wrap around Zaraki and throw him off

This was a futile effort as Zaraki's last attack inflicted a very large amount of damage and as a result, Gunjo could barely stand anymore. Even with him at this state, Zaraki showed absolutely no mercy and flashed in front of the sinner before using kendo, completely bisecting the sinner in half, killing him, for now

Zaraki just stood there for a moment as he examined the corpse of the sinner. "That was fun. Try to reincarnate yourself okay? I wanna fight you again sometime soon." he said before his bankai dropped and left the area

"That was great Kenny!" Yachiru said as she manifested herself and hopped on his shoulders

"Yeah. I'm sorry I neglected you for so long." Zaraki said in a sad tone, but still satisfied nonetheless

"Don't worry, Kenny. It's all good. By the way, the name of your bankai is Nozarashi Maseki." Yachiru pointed out in a cheerful tone, like usual

"What's it do?" Zaraki asked in an excited tone

"Uh uh. You'll have to find that out yourself, Kenny but if we survive this war, I'll happily teach them to you." Yachiru responded in the same manner as before

"I'm good with that. Now, let's drive these bastards out." Zaraki said with a grin before laughing maniacally and heading towards where the largest remaining battle was taking place, the northern area

Since they were ambushed by Shuren, Isshin and Ryuken has an incredibly difficult fight on their hands. After all, they were fighting the second strongest sinner in all of hell. It didn't help that Shuren was even skilled enough to fend both of them off at the same time especially when you factor in his flame manipulation powers

Isshin has been going right at it against Shuren with Ryuken providing ranged support if he got the chance as he was mostly mopping up any army that hasn't left yet. The sinner did wonder why they weren't taking him on two on one but he soon got his answer as Ryuken attempted to backstab him. Shuren noticed this and easily blocked hit with his flame powers. Even with this instant of distraction that Isshin gladly took, Shuren was still able to block in time

Isshin was surprised and realized that this sinner was probably not like the others, not one bit. Isshin engaged the sinner in a sword fight with Ryuken attempting the same. Due to his inferior swordsmanship skills, at least when compared to Isshin, Ryuken was easily overwhelmed and pushed back as Isshin was forced back due to a fireball heading his way. Just as he was about to be impaled, Isshin recovered himself and fired a getsuga tensho. Shuren noticed this and decided to have the two of them kill each other but Ryuken activated blut vene and was able to take the getsuga with ease. As the getsuga hit Ryuken, Shuren used this chance to attack Isshin and they ended up clashing swords once more. This time however, Isshin finally released his shikai and his zanpakuto was now emitting a trail of flames

Shuren thought that this battle was gonna get a lot trickier for him as if they both were flame users, then the damage they would take would be negligible and would be forced into try and kill the other with nothing but direct hits. Considering Isshin's swordsmanship skills, that was not gonna be easy. As the two were fighting, Ryuken suddenly fired an arrow from the smoke caused by the getsuga. Too occupied with his current opponent, Shuren was hit from behind and reeled. It was a strong arrow too and it inflicted quite a bit of damage. Isshin then used this chance to fire a point blank getsuga tensho, causing further damage before kicking him away. Shuren didn't slack off as he was forced back as he fired a jet of flames at Isshin. With him still not regained his footing after his attack, Isshin was not able to block and was hit directly by the flames

This allowed Shuren the chance to take on Ryuken, who was quickly on the defensive as he resorted to using his seele schneider. Shuren was aware that at most, he would only have a couple minutes before Isshin recovers himself so he had to inflict some damage on Ryuken. If he was lucky, he could knock him out of the fight for quite some time. He attacked him with his flame powers but Ryuken's blut vene was too strong and that attack barely did anything. Seizing this opportunity of surprise, Ryuken kicked him back before slashing him with the blade. Shuren was surprised as it didn't do that much but to his surprise, his body was literally being absorbed by Ryuken. Only then did he realize that touching that blade was not a good idea as somehow, it absorbs the reishi of anything it touches or something along that line. Ryuken then fired an even more powerful arrow at him, causing an explosion. It was also around this point that they received the news about Giselle and knew the situation just went for the worst for them

Shuren emerged from the explosion, still as resilient as ever but he now had some damage. He wanted to just finish off Ryuken but knew he couldn't. Without so much as a glance, he spun around and slashed his sword, completely parrying an attack from Isshin who was attempting to blindside him. Isshin was surprised at the sinner's reaction time. Even with his surprise, he didn't lose focus and began on the offensive by kicking him away to break the sword lock. He then launched a getsuga tensho which Shuren easily dodged before engaging in another sword fight. Ryuken decided to add to the pressure. In the instant Ryuken joined in, Isshin nodded to his friend, who instantly caught on to what he was planning. Shuren was confused when Isshin suddenly cut himself with his zanpakuto and Ryuken disengaged. The answer soon came when isshin unleashed a huge energy blast and it nearly cut off Shuren's right side

Realizing that there is no way he could take on both at the same time, Shuren forced himself to attack despite the injury and launched a powerful flame jet at Ryuken. Caught off guard, the quincy was injured and sent straight to a building. This did leave Shuren open which Isshin quickly took and pressured him. No longer playing games, Shuren quickly unleashed a flame jet at point blank range and forced Isshin back before slashing him across the torso. Ryuken tried to fire an arrow but was easily countered by another flame jet and he was forced to dodge. Instead of attacking the quincy, Shuren opted to slash Isshin once more and sent the soul reaper reeling. Ryuken noticed this and saw that this was not going well anymore so he tried to attack but was easily blocked before being shot by more flames. Even when injured like that, this sinner was still roaring to go

Isshin recovered after a few seconds and knew he had only one choice. Before, he wouldn't be able to do this in his current state but after gaining a clearer understanding during the last few weeks, he was no longer limited. "Bankai, Jinsa Engetsu." he muttered and released a surge of energy

Shuren was shocked at the surge of energy. When he looked at the soul reaper, he saw that he still had his injuries, which was rather fortunate for him but his sword was now different. The trails of fire were now different from his shikai and there were now three of them. Now, they were black with a clear orange outline with each having their own unique pattern. One had a horizontal lines connecting one outline to the other perpendicularly. Another had x shaped patterns connecting the outlines while the last was just a plain black trail with the regular outline without a fancy pattern. His sword mostly stayed the same except instead of regular colored flames, it was now engulfed with black energy

"So, this is your bankai." Shuren said, now interested in his opponent's power. WIthout even saying a word, Isshin launched the trail with perpendicular pattern towards the sinner. When it made contact with Shuren's arm, it was suddenly wrapped in some sort of chains before bound to the ground. His eyes widened at this and he tried desperately to escape. He looked at the soul reaper and saw that he was using the same energy attack but black in color he used in shikai but the chain's hold was too strong. Without a choice left, he decided to slice off his arm to free himself and managed to dodge. He looked at the trail of fire that hit his arm and saw that it was completely destroyed. It seems that in bankai, that energy attack was more powerful

Isshin however, didn't give him any breathing room. 'I may be able to use bankai even in this state but it won't last long. I'll have to end this here and now.' he thought before launching the one with the x shaped pattern. Contrary to the sinners' expectations, the trail of flames on encircled him and disappeared. He tried to get away but when he got near to where the flames disappeared, he was suddenly burned. Before he could do anything else, Isshin already had another one with perpindicular pattern and bound him to the ground. "Getsuga tensho." Isshin said and swung his sword, launching a getsuga. Unlike his regular one, this one used the power of the last trail and increased its firepower. Unable to move, Shuren tried to block it but was easily overwhelmed and it nearly shredded his body

Even in his severely weakened state, Shuren refused to give up, not without killing one of them. He put all his effort into firing one last powerful jet of flames at Ryuken, who just recovered from his previous attacks. Before he could launch it, a seele schneider was suddenly launched to his side before it stopped completely, surprising him before it surrounded him with a high density barrier of reishi. A ginto was then thrown at it and it caused the barrier to implode, taking Shuren and his last ditch effort with him, creating a powerful explosion within the tiny barrier

Isshin looked to where it came from and saw Ryuken, who was the one who managed to launch it before Shuren could. "Perfect timing." he said to the quincy who was using blut vene just to power through the injuries

"That should have been enough to kill him." Ryuken said in his usual tone

They were then surprised when a volley of arrows was shot towards the explosion when the barrier cleared. The duo looked to where it came from and saw Uryu, who wanted to make sure the strongest sinner was dead

At the same time, Kisuke was still near the muken area. When he found Yoruichi, he checked to see if she was alive and indeed she was. The only problem was that her zanpakuto's powers took its toll on her, being one that needs the user to be injured before its powers can be used. He then decided to just let her rest in the area and went inside muken since he still had the key. Inside, he saw some cracks on the wall. Judging from the looks of it, they've been there for quite some time, most likely from Ichigo's destruction of the seireitei although the shopkeeper was impressed. Muken actually survived Ichigo completely destroying the seireitei. Then again, it was mostly made by some of the strongest materials that were incredibly rare or can only be found in the royal palace so that it can hold the most dangerous of criminals. Things like that will take some effort to destroy even for Ichigo

Since Uryu never gave an update that Kyoraku had been located due to him being occupied of keeping a watchful eye on a certain female captain, the shopkeeper was still under the impression that they were still here. He checked the inside and saw it was mainly empty. A pillar was also missing, which was most likely the one that bound Aizen and destroyed by Ichigo. Moving further inside, he realized that the cracks were a bit less than the outside and that the material looked new. That only solidified the thought that the sinners used this place for something. It also reinforced the information he found that Kyoraku would be here as after all, he was the de facto leader of the soul reapers after Yamamoto and central forty six's deaths. It was getting a bit darker the further he went in and so he decided to light up with kido. When he finally found someone, he was surprised it wasn't Kyoraku

It was Ikkaku and Yumichika, both of which were just in a newly built cell, unconscious. From the looks of things, they have been attacked and were somehow left not to die. The shopkeeper checked their vitals and saw that they were still alive, albeit barely. He used his kido to try and heal the both of them but made sure to bind them in kido beforehand in case they were impostors or something. Since he hasn't made a full recovery after his battle, it was gonna take him quite a while. When he was done, the two squad eleven members woke up but were still very weak. They were confused as to why they were bound in kido and they seem not to remember where they were or what happened. Just a few seconds later, their memories came back to them

"Damn it, where are we?" Ikkaku grumbled as he got up but realized he couldn't. "What the hell is this?!" he grumbled further when he realized he was bound

"It seems to be a kido. But who would have bound us down?" Yumichika asked and surprisingly, not upset about the situation

"That would be me." a voice called out. The duo looked at where it came from and saw Kisuke. "I apologize for binding you but I have to be sure that you are not impostors by the sinners." he said

"Why you..." Ikkaku continued to grumble

"Now, how did you two get here? I thought you would be with the other lieutenants?" Kisuke asked suspiciously

"We were but sometime ago, the sinners decided to split us up. When we complained about it, they decided to run us through. To be honest, I thought we were dead but somehow, they chose to heal our wounds. Captain Kyoraku was once here as well but a sinner with white hair ordered captain Soi Fon, Ukitake and Nanao out of this area and onto another part of the seireitei while we were left to rot here. We were conscious at the time but we eventually passed out because they only healed us enough for us not to die." Yumichika explained. The shopkeeper eyed them suspiciously for a moment. He knew better than just to recklessly trust them since after all, they did leave them because they didn't want to be on the receiving end of Ichigo's wrath and also because of whatever tricks the sinners might have done

"This is Kisuke. I have found Ikkaku and Yumichika. Has anyone found Kyoraku yet?" he asked through the comms

"I have. I had them move to the north to fend off the remaining sinners." Uryu responded. He wasn't able to give that update as he had his hands full

"I see. Can anyone patch me through to him?" Kisuke asked once more

"I will. I'm giving you to Kyoraku now." Gin responded as he handed his comms over to said person since he was the closest to him while dragging said captain away from the battle they were in against the remaining sinner forces

"Hello, Kisuke Urahara." Kyoraku greeted in a calm voice, surprisingly

"Kyoraku, can you confirm that the sinners brought Ikkaku and Yumichika here to muken and moved you out?" Kisuke asked

"I can although from the looks of things, they were really injured. We couldn't really do anything due to Uryu Ishida not fully trusting us. Why? Have you found them?" Kyoraku responded

"I have and it seems that they are not impostors. Can you also confirm that the one who had you transferred was one with a white hair?" Kisuke asked once more, wanting to be fully sure

"Yes. I believe his name was Jin Kariya." Kyoraku answered

"I see. Thanks. You're story coincides with these two. We'll meet you in the northern area." Kisuke said as he hung up and released his kido. "Alright. You two stick with me. There is still a battle going on against the sinners' forces in the northern area. We'll head there now and finish this battle once and for all." he said to the duo

"Alright. Now you're speaking my language." Ikkaku said with a grin as he walked to a nearby wall and grabbed his zanpakuto with Yumichika doing the same. The shopkeeper then led them out and carried the still unconscious Yoruichi on his back. The four of them then moved to the remaining battle but Kisuke made sure that at a moment's notice, he could use his portable gigai on both him and Yoruichi in the event that these two were impostors

With the major battles already over, the only one that remained was the one in the northern area. Liltotto, along with Kukaku and Ganju, has been severely pressured and were nearly forced out of the gate. Luckily for them, Bazz B arrived and quickly incinerated a lot of the sinners. The male quincy was surprised at how large the army was and that they really were serious about slowly retaking the areas one at a time. He didn't even bother to take it easy and just went burning full fingers, greatly increasing the potency of the flames. The sinners got distracted at this and with that distraction, it relieved some of the pressure. Cang Du also arrived shortly after and quickly went to Liltotto. He helped fend them off with his ability fully activated, rendering any sinner attack useless, allowing to join in the bulk of the battle

After those guys fended off the sinners, Kukaku eventually managed to get rid of all the flying gargoyles, allowing everyone to focus on the ground forces, which was still extremely massive. They were surprised when some of the army focused behind them but they soon realized it was because of Gin and his group backstabbing the sinners. Even though they suffered casualties and many were injured. In fact, due to them being in a weakened state, Kyoraku and the others who shared his prison cell were even injured due to the sheer numbers. It was also around this time when the arrancars finally arrived to the east. In just a few cero blasts, most of the sinners on that side were killed

Since it was golden and green ceros, everyone concluded that it was Harribel and Ulquiorra. The arrancar duo quickly carved a path through the sinner lines and completely cut them off from the rest, making them easy prey. During the attack, the hollow army also suffered massive casualties due to the espadas being distracted. As such, the espadas decided to just leave them to control the east with Nel guarding the area

After a few more minutes, the sinners suddenly turned around and many were completely hacked apart by pink flower petals and just a few distance to the side of the petals, a maniacal laughter and powerful golden spirit energy was attacking them. Gin's group and Zaraki finally made it and divided the sinners' attention. Now, instead of them trying to pressure their attackers, the sinners were now the one pressured as the were attacked from multiple sides at once. With their attackers being incredibly powerful fighters, the sinners were only able to inflict damage upon Gin's group, which were the lieutenants and a few captains. On the other sides they were attacked on, they were utterly decimated. It didn't take that long before the last remaining army of the sinners was finally purged from this world

"This is Liltotto. The sinners have finally been defeated. North area is now ours." she said into the comms, completely exhausted from the intense battle as everyone regrouped with them

"That was intense." Cang Du commented as he too was exhausted from keeping his powers active for this long

"Tell me about it." Ganju said as he dropped to the ground

"At least it's finally over with." Kukaku said before resting down

It didn't take long for everyone to arrive and the area was literally littered with corpses. The aformentioned groups arrived first and when they did, they all just rested for a bit in a very tense silence. Some of the soul reapers wanted to interrogate everyone on their actions but the presence of the arrancars was enough to keep them quiet as they knew they wouldn't be able to defeat them

Bambietta and Candice soon arrived themselves with Candice helping an injured Bambietta walk

"Bambi." Liltotto greeted, the only thing she could say in her exhausted state

"Seems like they really put you through hell, huh?" Bambietta greeted back

"You're one to talk." Candice said with a smirk as she put her down

Kisuke's group also arrived shortly after. By now, Yoruichi has finally regained consciousness but she was still really weak

"What? The battles over already?" Ikkaku whined when he saw the littered corpses everywhere

"I suggest you watch your mouth, soul reaper." Harribel warned in a dangerous voice as everyone was tired as hell

Ikkaku glared at her but when he saw the others also looking like they just wanted to rip him apart, he regretted his words. It seems even after all this time, not a single one of them were that willing to work with the thirteen court guard squads

Isshin and the others also arrived soon after with him helping Ryuken out. The three of them noticed the silence and the very tense atmosphere. Before anything stupid can break out, Uryu decided to ask the most important question through the comms. "Starrk, we've regrouped here in the north. What's the situation in the south?"

"It's as you said, all clear. i did find a couple bodies. Dordoni has apparently been killed and Grimmjow is barely alive." Starrk answered

"Alright, the rest of us are here. The battles really took its toll." Uryu responded

"I understand. I'll check the western area next and see what I can find then I'll meet you up in the north." Starrk responded

"Starrk, fire a cero into the sky. I'll take Grimmjow's body to the others while you go investigate the west." Nel offered

"Thanks." Starrk said before pointing a finger at the sky and firing a cero. Nel noticed it and quickly flashed to his location

Now, they all can finally rest, for a few hours anyway, as the war against the sinners was over, for now

**-Royal Palace-**

Just a few minutes after the battles below have finished, Ichigo and the others have finally made it to the other side. It was an incredibly difficult task as the portal seems to be pushing them back and they had to power right through it. It took them the duration of the longest battle, which was Isshin's before they could make it to the other side

When they finally made it, they were suprised. Aizen and Ichigo expected to engage someone almost immediately the moment they entered yet, there was nobody around

"What? Where are we? Is this the royal palace?" Ichigo asked as he looked around, the place not at all resembling the last time he was here

"We are. This is the reason we had such a hard time. Ever since the soul king has regained mobility, he has begun to reshape the worlds, starting with the palace. If we just entered the portal, we would undoubtably get slaughetered the moment we arrived. As such, at the price of us having a very difficult time entering, the space we would arrive would render father unable to do anything to us for a few minutes." Zhakuro explained and he too began looking around. "This is what the original world once looked like." he commented as unlike the previous palace, which had disc shaped objects floating, now it just looked like a savanna

"It's so peaceful." Ichigo commented as he took in the air

"Yes. This is why we worked so hard to preserve the original world. However, now, nothing we can do about it. We'll just have to ensure that the current worlds would achieve peace much like ages ago." Nozomi commented

"Just be ready though. We would only have about fifteen minutes before the soul king would locate us and target us with his powers. So, just rest for a while." Oko said

Ran'tao then decided to summon an orb that allowed vision towards the seireitei. Ichigo and Aizen were amazed that someone could conjure up something like then. The powers of the ancient ones were really a sight to behold. Now the hybrid was wondering what other tricks Yhwach had up his sleeve and why he just chose to fight like a regular present day soldier with a broken ability

"Can Yhwach do something like that?" Ichigo wondered

"He can but he chooses not to. As his life was also bound not only to the seal but also to keep the sinners out, if he uses too much, he might have accidentally released them." Shusuke answered

"At any rate, what's the situation on the seireitei?" Aizen asked

"It seems that they have won. The sinners have been purged but not without a cost. Some of the visored and your allies were killed. In fact, only the espadas are relatively unscathed. I'm not particularly surprised since they've been training even before Yhwach revealed himself." Ran'tao answered

"Who died?" Ichigo asked curiously

"From what I can tell, Tsukishima, Meninas, Giselle, Askin and Dordoni among your allies. Except for Uryu and the espadas, everyone has suffered serious injuries in the battles." Ran'tao answered

Aizen noticed Ichigo frown and it was obvious why he did. "Don't worry, Ichigo. This is war. You don't join a war and expect to come out without casualties."

"He's right. They've done their part. Let's do ours." Nozomi said reassuringly

"That's true but for now, we need to regain our strength. We only have a few minutes before we are attack and the main palace area that you knew is still about half a mile away." Oko said and they all decided to calm down for a bit

"**Are you ready for this?"** White asked inside Ichigo's mind

'Talk about asking the obvious.'

_"He has a point, Ichigo. If you're not ready for this, it will cost you everything."_

'I am aware of that but there is no other choice.'

"**Then I'll ask you once more, are you prepared for this? This won't be like any other battle you've fought thus far. You're basically fighting a god, after all."**

'It doesn't matter one way or another. This is something that must be done and I'm more than willing to do it.'

"**At least you're still determined but remember, you cannot afford to lose focus, Ichigo. When worst comes to pass, you're gonna have to abandon you're new friends here and focus on the soul king otherwise, this whole venture would have been for nothing."**

'I know. That's what you were teaching me long ago. That at some point, I'm gonna have to make a choice like this.'

_"Exactly. Just be sure you do not waver. Remember. Everything that exists, hangs on the line."_

'I won't. Just like before, I'm more than ready to do what is necessary otherwise I would have joined the battles down below instead of being in this place.' Ichigo responded, ending that conversation, before going towards Ran'tao. He asked her to show him what happened and she agreed to it. The hybrid was really surprised at what he saw. The arrancars never even mentioned to him that they managed to achieve segunda etapa

"I see you are surprised at the segunda etapa." Aizen commented as he approached them

"Have you known about it?" Ichigo asked curiously

"I have. That is the reason why Ulquiorra was the fourth espada. I was well aware that he was the strongest and it would be too complicated if I brought anyone that isn't in my top three. Besides, your powers wouldn't have grown if you faced anyone else. At that time, you would end up either killing Harribel, or the fraccions distract you and kill you. Against Barragan, you could end up killing him but that would be a different story if he releases his resurreccion. In your state at that time, you wouldn't be able to figure out how his powers work. If you faced Starrk, he could just let you retrieve the girl and let all the soul reapers go. As such, the only choice was to have you face Ulquiorra." Aizen explained

"And since he didn't have any fraccion, it would just be me and him. Was he always the strongest one?" Ichigo asked

"He was. In raw power alone, the other three would prove to be quite a challenge but what really sets him apart is his cold personality. Unlike anyone I know, he has no misgivings about engaging anyone, even if the person in question was an ally. That's what made him so valuable." Aizen noted

"I see. He really does have a no nonsense attitude." Ichigo said thoughtfully. "By the way, how does an arrancar achieve segunda etapa anyway?"

"That I'm not entirely sure. The only thing that I do know is that if an arrancar's power is too strong, then sealing it once won't be enough so it will need to be sealed twice." Aizen said thoughtfully

"Then that means that an arrancar could gain an indefinite number of released states then?" Ichigo concluded

"It is in the realm of possibilities. The only problem would be how to do so. At any rate, only the arrancars would have a definite answer for that." Aizen said. Before Ichigo could respond, Nozomi suddenly walked up to them

"You boys ready for this?" Nozomi asked, looking specifically at Ichigo

The hybrid knew exactly what she was referring to and his expression didn't change. "I am. Don't worry about me. Once, I may have been naive enough to think I'm some kind of protector who thinks I can protect everything and handle everything myself. But I gave up that thinking long ago. Now, I'm just a soldier fighting for our survival and like a soldier, you cannot protect everything nor can you do everything on your own." he responded as he looked to the distance

"But didn't he go alone to do something on his own?" Oko pointed out, ruining the moment

"That's true but then again, Ichigo doesn't answer to anyone. He's basically both a soldier who is fighting a war for survival and a well informed spy who knew something bigger was going on." Shusuke argued

"You do know I can hear you, right?" Ichigo grumbled while rolling his eyes

"Take it easy, Ichigo." Zhakuro said as he joined them. "Get ready, it's time." he said and as if on cue, multiple energy blasts were suddenly heading their way

* * *

**I got lucky with this one. Somehow, I managed to get the schedule that has a lot of vacant period so that means more free time to finish this story. So, this will be the end of the battles in the seireitei. Next chapter, it will be shorter and there won't be any battles, that I can promise you. Even I need some break when writing that kind of chapters**

**As you noticed, I didn't drag on Zaraki's fight. I didn't think that would be necessary because come on, that would be overkill, like literal overkill. So I just made it short and simple, him killing his enemy without a moment's hesitation. On the other hand, I did drag on Isshin's fight. That was for a reason. Since that was the closing fight to the major battles, I decided to make it a long one. Another reason would be Shuren's status as the second strongest sinner. It would be awkward if the second strongest dies quickly to someone who is more or less as powerful as ****him. And about Zaraki's bankai, I decided to use the ones from a fanart because it looked better than the one he had in the canon so credits to that guy**

**So, like with the other powers, I'm gonna explain Isshin's bankai. The powers of his bankai bears resemblance to Ichigo's own zanpakuto powers. The trail with perpendicular patterns would prevent any movement of anything that it comes in contact with by binding it down. Unlike his son's chains, Isshin's does not have any other effects but is incredibly sturdy. Isshin himself also cannot undo this bindings without dropping his bankai. The second trail, the one with x shaped patterns basically creates an invisible barrier of flames. This barrier can only be created around something or someone that was already bound. The final, plain trail only increases that attack power of his attacks. Now, as for why he couldn't use this before, he didn't have a clear understanding. Even though he has gained that understanding, his bankai is incredibly taxing as it uses his own reserves of spirit energy to maintain it, thereby draining his own faster than any other similar power**

**Translations:**

**Nozarashi Maseki - Weather Beaten Red Demon**

**Jinsa Engetsu - Black Chains Scathing Moon**


	65. Chapter 64

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

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**Chapter Sixty Four - Aftermath III**

**-Soul Society-**

It has been a little over half an hour since the battles ended. Starrk has finished scavenging both the south and west. He has found Askin's body pierced by multiple blades. The quincy has died from too much blood loss as he was lying in a pool of blood when Starrk found him. When the arrancar saw the very large number of bodies, he directed some of the surviving hollow army to try and gather them all in one place. Now, there was only one thing left, the soul king

At the same time in the ruins of the northern area, everyone else has gathered including the soul reapers, surprisingly. Many were mourning their deaths, some were tending to their wounds. The fracciones have also arrived just a few minutes ago along with Tessai. With them, they brought some medical supplies. Although they have been aware that some of them will be killed, this was worse than they ever expected. When they got a look at the damage done to the seireitei, or the sinners' citadel, they were surprised to say the least. So much destruction. This war was really not like anything that they have fought in before

Kisuke's crew tended to the really injured ones, namely Bambietta and Ryuken, and surprisingly, the fracciones as well. The espadas didn't really need any healing since they've barely been scratched although Pesche and Dondochakka tried to help Grimmjow

"Master Harribel, are you sure you don't need any healing?" Apacci asked in worry

Harribel just kept her silence at this, not even bothering to look at her fraccion

"That's enough, Apacci. Master Harribel has already mastered high speed regeneration and she said it herself, we should focus on the others, for now." Sung Sun said in a reprimanding tone

"Who asked you?!" Apacci yelled at her fellow fraccion

To their surprise, Harribel just grabbed some healing equipment and helped the others

"Hey, we need some help here." Soi Fon said in an annoyed tone as none of Kisuke's crew were tending to the injuries any soul reapers received

"Sorry, too busy." Jinta said as he was taking care of Yoruichi

"Let me do that." Soi Fon said as she approached her former mentor

"Back off." Jinto responded in an annoyed tone. "None of us here trust you enough that you won't kill her or any of us."

"Why you little kid." Soi Fon said as she grabbed the kid by the neck. Before she could do anything, an arrow was shot at her hand and it nearly blew it off. This caused her to drop him and she yelled in pain and grabbed it before looking at where it came from

"Don't do anything stupid, Soi Fon." Uryu said in a very dangerous voice. He was the only one who did anything as everyone else were too injured or exhausted while the espadas only looked on alert, ready to cut her or anyone else down should they try something

"And just who do you think you are?!" Soi Fon retorted angrily as she drew her zanpakuto. "Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi." and the moment she released her shikai, it was suddenly taken from her in the same manner as when BG9 stole her bankai

Everyone except the arrancars looked in surprise as they thought it should have been impossible to steal a bankai by now, much less a shikai. Even the quincies were surprised at this turn of events. Soi Fon even felt her weakened state go further upon the loss of her shikai. Everyone looked to who was the culprit and saw that it was Sung Sun, who put something in her pocket the moment everyone looked at her

"What the..." Soi Fon asked in complete surprise. She attempted to move towards the fraccion but was blocked when Apacci flashed behind her and put a sword on her throat

"Do anything stupid and I'll cut off your head." Apacci warned in a threatening voice as everyone who didn't pay attention stopped whatever it was they were doing

"How were you able to do that?" Toshiro asked. Surprisingly, not a single one of the soul reapers took any offense to Soi Fon being put in that position mainly because it meant trouble for all of them

"Lay down your weapon, Soi Fon." Yoruichi ordered, still a bit weak from her injuries

"But, Lady Yoruichi..." Soi Fon tried to object

"If you don't do it, then I won't be able to help you this time around." Yoruichi said. Finally, Soi Fon dropped her blade and Apacci quickly kicked it into the rubble

"How were you able to do that, Sung Sun?" Kisuke asked curiously

Sung Sun then took out a small disc shaped object from her pocket. It exactly the same as what the quincies used to steal a bankai

"Is that..." Bambietta asked when she got a look at what the arrancar was holding

"Yes." Ulquiorra said as he joined in. "Ichigo may have been the one to give the main outline for this attack but Aizen took care of the small details. He had the soul king's firstborn modify the unused medallions of the sternritters. Instead of it simply stealing a bankai, it would also steal a soul reaper's shikai along with draining about half of the victim's spirit energy."

"And why didn't Aizen tell anyone else about that?" Candice asked curiously

"Being a former captain of the thirteen court guard squads, Aizen was well aware of how the soul reapers would react. For one reason or another, Aizen expected us to be the ones who would be the least injured in this battle since we have been preparing for war even before the wandenreich revealed itself. These modified medallions were made specifically with you in mind." Harribel answered as she looked at Soi Fon

"More importantly, how are you able to steal it? I thought Kisuke's device prevented any more thefts?" Byakuya asked, surprisingly not upset about it

"We are arrancars. Your hollowfied bankais is of no threat to us. Even if you have a hollowfication of your own, there wouldn't be any problem for us to steal it." Starrk pointed out that simple fact

"That is also the real reason why our fracciones stayed behind. Aizen was already aware that the town was well protected and that no one was going to attack it. The only reason they didn't join was so that we would have more warriors who are at full strength in case the soul reapers did something stupid. Obviously, the fracciones cannot take you on alone so the medallion was modified to keep you at a disadvantage." Nel finished the explanation. Everyone widened their eyes at this. Aizen went to considerable lengths just to ensure their safety after the battles. To think that they weren't fully trusting of him even after everything that happened

"So then, anyone else want to do something stupid?" Sung Sun said as she looked at the soul reapers, who were looking around nervously. Now, they were really at the bottom of their morale. Everything they have stood for was nothing but a lie. Not only did they lose and become prisoners, they have also been saved by people that they once considered as enemies. As if that wasn't bad enough, said people also came prepared to deal with both the sinners and the soul reapers. They really stepped on a soul reaper's achilles heel, their pride

A dead silence then took over as the fracciones and Kisuke's crew went back to healing everyone's injuries. The healing they would do was merely temporary. It won't be enough to get them back to full strength as they would still need to rest for quite some time

"I'm rather surprised at this." Sung Sun commented as she finished helping isshin

"About what exactly?" Mila Rose asked as she approached

"Well, don't take this the wrong way. I'm glad that these are the only injuries we suffered but to be perfectly honest, I expected more casualties or that the injuries would be like Bambietta's especially when you consider their numbers." Sung Sun answered. She expected someone to berate her for saying so but she was surprised when no one took offense to that remark

"Well, that's true but you are forgetting one thing, Sung Sun." Kisuke said and got curious looks so he decided to explain. "In war, numbers or power alone does not dictate the outcome. Yes, they are important parts but another one that is equally or maybe even more important is readiness. We came this to war fully prepared with what we were facing and we took complete advantage of that knowledge."

"That's true. Now that I think about it, I don't think even Ichigo would have defeated Yhwach if he wasn't prepared for him." Starrk said thoughtfully

"Nor would we have been able to stop the quincies from taking over las noches." Nel pointed out

"It's also just like what Aizen said when he formed the espadas." Harribel commented, recalling a memory from years ago. "It doesn't really matter who you're facing. If you fight someone fully prepared, you will have a distinct advantage even if that someone is more powerful than you. This couldn't be more true as the wandenreich attacked the seireitei and pressed every single advantage they could find. As well as when Ichigo revealed himself knowing exactly what Yhwach's weaknesses were. Any unprepared individual, regardless of how powerful he or she is, can lose to someone who came ready."

"That is exactly why you should never get complacent. Which is what Ichigo has been doing for over a year now, always striving to get stronger and not giving anyone a chance to analyze the full extent of his powers." Ulquiorra finished

The soul reapers then took a moment to reflect upon these words as they were all guilty about being complacent. They thought that they were the strongest group of fighters yet now, the soul reapers are nearly extinct due to their own arrogance

"The question still remains, what do we do with them?" Pesche asked as he looked at the soul reapers once most of them were finished treating the injuries

The soul reapers looked on alert and prepared for anything. They weren't really keen on fighting again after this major war has just ended. None of them were but it seems that Ichigo's allies are more than willing to continue the fight if the soul reapers do anything stupid

Soi Fon, who was still furious after what happened, was the first to respond. "You'll all pay for what you just did." she said angrily before looking at the shopkeeper. "Especially with how you abandoned us to rot at the sinners' hands."

"Do I even need to remind you that you people were planning to kill us?" Kisuke retorted in a serious voice, which was unusual for him

Zaraki, who was also a bit annoyed at how his colleagues just turned on Ichigo like that, began walking towards the hybrid's allies. "I don't know about you guys but I'm with them." he said in a calm tone. The hybrid's allies eyed him suspiciously as they were aware that this one was gonna prove to be a problem

"And what reason could you have to side with us?" Tessai asked as he just finished using his kido to restore Bambietta's arm

"I have no intention of helping people who would turn against their allies for no reason and Ichigo still owes me a rematch so there's no way one of us can die before that happens." Zaraki answered with a grin forming on his face

"You traitor!" Soi Fon said angrily and threw a dagger at him, which he easily deflected. She then tried to head towards where her zanpakuto was kicked but was stopped when she was suddenly surrounded by pink flower petals and some sheet of ice. "What..." she asked as she whirled around

"That's enough, Soi Fon." Byakuya said as he and Toshiro used their zanpakuto to stop her

"They're quite right. We made some mistakes that cost us and our own complacency nearly got us wiped out. If anything, I think we should change. We can't remain the same as we were before the war against the wandenreich." Toshiro said adamantly

Many of the soul reapers couldn't agree more. The only problem they faced now is the Ichigo's allies would let them live. Fortunately for them, this was not a decision that would be made recklessly for them since after all, they weren't Ichigo, who probably would have killed them all the moment Soi Fon got furious earlier

"What do you think?" Ulquiorra asked suspiciously

It was also at this moment that Renji and Rukia finally regained consciousness. When the duo did, they were surprised at how tense everything was. It's almost as if another fight could break out

"Brother, what's going on?" Rukia asked weakly as he approached them

"Just rest for a while, Rukia." Byakuya instructed, clearly having no intention of telling her what was going on

Ichigo's allies however, were extremely skeptical. While Kisuke and the others were hopeful of a reconciliation, this was not a decision that they alone can make

"I don't trust them." Bambietta voiced her opinion first

"Neither do I. How do we know they won't go against their word?" Bazz B added

"If you really want us to believe you, then you need to show us something we can trust on." Liltotto said

Soi Fon was still angry at this turn of events. The fact that a little kid stopped her from helping Yoruichi really triggered her so much. Before she could retort, Kyoraku spoke up

"And what would you wish for us to do?" Kyoraku asked. Not a single one of the soul reapers objected to this as none of them were keen on fighting a back to back war and the fact that none of them were at full strength only complicated things for them

Before anyone could think of something, Candice reminded them of something they have all forgotten. "To be honest, I don't think us deciding on what to do with the soul reapers right now would matter in one way or another."

Then it suddenly dawned on them the real culprit of this war. Everyone then nervously looked to the sky in complete wonder as to how this was all gonna end up. While they may have driven out the sinners, the fact still remains that none of it will matter if the soul king isn't stopped

"How do you think this will all end?" Lilynette asked in worry

"That, I can't be sure. From what I was told, the soul king also had the ability called 'the almighty'." Gin said and surprising everyone. For whatever reason, the horsemen and Zhakuro chose not to tell them this one detail

"If that's true, then that means he already knew this would happen." Uryu concluded

"That's right. Before we came from hell, Zhakuro said that the soul king orchestrated these events. From Ichigo killing Yhwach to the sinners making appearances outside of hell." Gin pointed out

"That makes sense. With the sinners escaping hell and the worlds disappearing, no one would even suspect the soul king as the one responsible." Jushiro concluded

"Is there anything we can do about this, Kisuke?" Shinji asked, still weak from being nearly burned alive

"I'm not sure. The powers the horsemen wield are different from what we have now. I never had the chance to analyze it." Kisuke answered

"But what about the device Szayelaparro was working on back at sokyoku hill?" Ryuken point out

"That may be true but it's going to take some time to put it back together. I mean, Ichigo did destroy it after all." Kisuke argued back. "Besides, in our weakened states, we'd only end up getting in their way. The powers those eight have are far stronger than ours."

"Perhaps, but I don't think we'd necessarily be in their way." Bambietta said and confused everyone

"What do you mean by that?" Dondochakka asked

"Well, it's true that they are far more powerful than we are and they're probably more focused on killing the soul king than any of us. If we are to help them, then we must be ready to abandon each other if it comes down to it." Bambietta answered and surprised everyone

"You can't be serious about that." Mila Rose objected

"Yeah. You can't honestly expect us to just leave each other." Apacci agreed

"She's got a point." Sung Sun commented and surprised the quincy

"What do you mean by that, Sung Sun?!" Mila Rose and Apacci yelled in unison

"Calm down and think about it. Bambietta is saying that from Ichigo's perspective." Sung Sun answered and the duo actually calmed down, surprisingly. "If we try to fight the soul king and save our comrades at the same time, that would present a weakness which the soul king can take advantage of. Don't forget, he's basically a god and we are just mere mortals. If I had to guess, I don't think any of them plan on coming back from this war and that includes Ichigo and Aizen."

"Sung Sun..." Harribel whispered to herself, a bit surprised at how smart she can be

"So, what do we do then?" Bazz B said as he stood up. "Candice is right. We can deal with the soul reapers later. The soul king needs to go."

"Oh please. As if you're ready to just abandon us if it comes down to it." Bambietta said with a smirk

"And you are?" Bazz B retorted back

"No. It was just a suggestion." Bambietta answered before looking at Kisuke. "What do you think?"

"You've got a point there, Bambi but to be honest, in our current state, even if we abandon each other, we are still too weak to do anything significant." Kisuke answered

"But you can try, right?" Pesche asked

"I can but no promises. Remember, we have no idea how much the royal palace nor the barriers separating it has changed after all this time." Kisuke said and began walking

"I'll go help you." Ryuken said and followed the shopkeeper

"What do we do now?" Shuhei asked as the two left

"For now, we wait and try to get back to fighting shape as much as we can." Kukaku answered and walked over to the soul reapers. "Bambietta, if you'd please." she said, looking at said girl

Bambietta immediately caught on to what Kukaku meant and flashed around all the soul reapers minus Zaraki but including the visored with each of them feeling some sort slap somewhere on their body. Gin immediately realized what Kukaku wanted but couldn't do anything. What really shocked them all is that Hiyori didn't rage at it

"What did you do to us?" Soi Fon asked as she nursed her neck where she was slapped

"I put a miniature explosive on your heads. If you do something stupid, I'll blow your head off, literally." Bambietta said with a glare

"Why you..." Soi Fon said angrily but an angry spiritual pressure directed at her shut her up

"That's enough, Soi Fon." Kyoraku said in what was probably the first serious voice anyone has ever heard him. "We can't afford to fight each other now. As said earlier, anything we come up is pointless unless the soul king is stopped and I honestly can't blame them for their reaction after what we were planning to do to Ichigo." he said seriously before looking at the quincies. "I suppose you'll remove these once everything is over?"

"If we survive that is and if you actually proves yourselves to be trustworthy this time. Then again, that decision is not my own to make and that will have to be something all of us agree on." Bambietta answered with a serious expression "And by all of us, I mean all of us. Not just the majority. If one or two of us doesn't agree with the choice, then that will only complicate the final decision."

In all honesty, the soul reapers were rather relieved upon hearing that. Maybe they can still work together with their former enemies in the same way they are helping each other now. Those who were once enemies have put aside their differences for a common goal. The allies of the hybrid were now really showing them at how soul reaper's way of doing things was never gonna end well. Whether it was right or wrong is irrelevant as the fact is, they got punished real hard for their arrogance

"So, what do we do now?" Lisa asked when everyone got quiet

"We'll just have to wait for Kisuke to finish. Either that or we hope that Ichigo and the others stop the soul king. This part of the war is out of our hands now." Nel answered with the worry evident in her tone. Who wouldn't be as this war was much bigger than any of them thought possible

Another silence then took over as they mentally prepared themselves for the fight against the soul king, that is if they make it in time. They all then decided to finally burn the bodies of the fallen

"Where are the other soul reapers?" Ganju asked as he noticed no one else was coming here

"We're all that's left. When the sinners took over, they killed any soul reaper that wasn't on the level of at least a lieutenant. Even many of our third seats have been killed." Nanao answered. As expected, not a single one of them, minus Isshin and Yoruichi, particularly cared about it

At that same time, Kisuke was already at sokyoku hill. He looked around and saw the destroyed equipment and checked it out. Ryuken also helped him out

"This is gonna take a while." Kisuke said as he inspected the damage. It was really severe and not to mention they still had no idea what the device Szayelaparro was working on actually did and the fact that it was still night time only complicated things further as the darkness obviously limits vision

"How much time exactly?" Ryuken asked

"That I cannot be sure. I'm not even sure what this thing does and it's gonna take some trial and error. If anything, it would take a few hours, maybe even daybreak." Kisuke answered as he flipped the destroyed parts

"By then the battle in the palace would probably be over." Ryuken noted with a frown

"We'll just have to leave it in their hands then. Besides, I honestly don't think any of us will be of any help against a god." Kisuke said thoughtfully

"But at least you're gonna try to fix this, right?" Ryuken asked

"Of course. Just no promises though as finding spare parts to fix this presents another problem on its own." Kisuke responded in his usual jolly tone. "At any rate, the most likely possibility is that we won't be able to help with anything further."

In the few minutes that he has been working, Kisuke was getting nowhere. Whatever it was that Szayelaparro was working on needed to be rebuilt before they can figure out its purpose or how it workd and with the destruction of most of the seireitei, that proved to be a real problem. There was almost zero parts to work with to even begin repairs so Kisuke had to improvise and that was a lot easier said than done due to having to second guess the parts

Nearly an hour later, a tremor was suddenly occurring and unlike the last time one happened, this one started off as weak but was quickly getting stronger and stronger by the second. Everyone looked towards the night sky and wondered just what the hell was going on in the royal palace

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**Here is the next one. As promised, there is not a single battle in this chapter. There really isn't much else to say about this chapter so I guess that's about it. The next ones will cover the battle against the soul king so spoilers, not that it really matters since it is obvious that those chapters are coming. And this chapter is just a short one since it's just an aftermath anyway**


	66. Chapter 65

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

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**Chapter Sixty Five - Dawn of the End**

**-Royal Palace-**

In the night of the royal palace, multiple energy blasts were suddenly heading their way. Without a single one of them even flinching, Zhakuro merely raised his arm and a barrier formed and deflected all of the blasts

"That was only the welcoming fireworks. There'll be more." Zhakuro noted as he dropped the barrier

"Lead the way." Ichigo said and the horsemen quickly led the way. "I thought this place wouldn't be this empty." the hybrid commented as they were on the move

"Don't hold your breath. The soul king might have some nasty surprises for us. Just keep your guard up." Ran'tao responded

Due to the level of power they all possessed, it didn't take them that long before they came across a structure that looked like another castle

"So, he has rebuilt it." Oko said as they all stopped on a nearby hill

"What is that?" Aizen asked

"Our home of old. That is where we used to live when times were still peaceful." Zhakuro answered as he was reminded of the good old days

"When we're inside, expect some sort of resistance. We haven't encountered anyone thus far so be ready for anything." Shusuke said as he was the first to head towards the entrance. The others soon followed him and just when they were about to enter, someone walked out of the gate

"Turn back. You are not welcome here." the man said. Ichigo was all too familiar with this one as this was the same person that had ordered Gremmy to kill Bambietta and Candice

"Jugram Haschwalth." Ichigo said as he recognized the person. 'Odd. Something about him feels off somehow.'

"You know him?" Aizen asked curiously

"He was Yhwach's second in command in the wandenreich, the grandmaster of the sternritter." Ichigo responded as he got into a battle stance

"Keep your guard up. The soul king has reanimated him." Nozomi warned as she shot an energy blast at him, who blocked the attack

"Last warning." Haschwalth repeated himself, getting ready for a fight as some creatures that weren't seen before walked up behind him. The creatures looked identical with a white colored body and a red pointy hat

"What are those things?" Ichigo asked, surprisingly, no one yet made a move

"Blanks." Nozomi answered and decided to elaborate when she saw the two look confused. "They are reanimated souls without any memories, unlike the ones you, Yamamoto or Giselle raise. The ones you raise still retain their memories but lost their free will due to the influence of your powers. These blanks are more or less the same, only they are literally blanks. However, from the looks of things, it seems that the soul king is using them as his own soldiers."

"We'll have to fight our way through them to get to the soul king." Shusuke said as Haschwalth point his sword at the group, causing the blanks to charge at them with each turning their arms into swords

Everyone got ready for battle and since these were just random soldiers, they were dispatched really quickly. In the midst of the battle, Haschwalth ended up engaging Zhakuro. The firstborn easily overpowered the grandmaster due to the fact that he was way more powerful. While they were fighting, Zhakuro used his powers to see what the abilities of this quincy was and realized that if he recklessly inflicts any damage, it would only lead to his downfall even with him being stronger

Just when they mopped up the welcoming party, Ichigo wanted to get rid of Haschwalth but realized that if Zhakuro hasn't dealt with him yet, then a reckless attack was obviously not a good idea. Instead, he aimed at where the soul chains would usually be and stabbed the former grandmaster there. To his, as well as everyone's surprise, the soul chain was still there and the soul king chose not to alter his physiology. The attack completely stripped the grandmaster of his powers. Haschwalth dropped to the floor and just a few seconds later, a smoke came out of his body and took on the shape of a skull before dissipating into the sky

"What?" Aizen asked in surprise. Before anyone else could do or say anything else

"Ichigo... Kurosaki..." Haschwalth said weakly, getting everyone's attention. "You must... stop... him." he said before he collapsed

"The soul king must have placed him under some sort of mind control. When you cut his soul chain, it must have removed its effects." Nozomi said before she summoned a flame and burned Haschwalth's body. "Let's go."

The seven of them entered the castle and were greeted by more blanks, which they easily disposed off. They soon came across a staircase that led towards the upper levels, which they followed. Ichigo decided to summon five of his flame creatures to stop any blanks from attacking from behind

When they reached the top, they were greeted by a sight they all expected to see, the royal guard. Unlike the last time Ichigo was here, their eyes were completely white and lacking the irises, looking like they were possessed like some horror movie characters

"You dare come back here?" Ichibe said as he looked at the intruders

"What's going on with them?" Aizen asked when he noticed their odd behavior

"It's the soul king. He has taken over the minds of the royal guard." Nozomi answered

"Then why does his eyes look different from Haschwalth?" Ichigo pointed out

"That we don't know. Just be careful. At this point, he's probably at his strongest, which would be his bankai." Oko said as Ichibe attacked Ichigo

The other royal guard members also moved in to attack and take on one opponent but they were still outnumbered

"Where is the soul king?" Ichigo asked as he blocked the royal guard leader

"He's still up top. Probably at the peak of this castle." Shusuke answered as he engaged Nimaiya

"You will all die here." Kirio said as she was somehow pushing back Ran'tao. For some reason, her voice seemed to echo like she was hollowfied or something

This little skirmish went on for a few minutes. While the royal guard members took on the horsemen, Ichibe was busy alternating between Ichigo, Aizen and Zhakuro. Each of them just easily took him on. The only problem was he appeared to be fighting incredibly hard. The three noticed this and the hybrid wondered if Ichibe would actually support the destruction of the worlds

Eventually, Ichigo kicked Ichibe into a wall and used his bow to fire a bunch of arrows at the top, causing it to fall on the royal guard leader while the horsemen continued to engage the others. "Zhakuro, Aizen, head towards the top and stop the soul king. The horsemen and I will stay here and deal with these."

"You sure, Ichigo?" Aizen asked just as the smoke started to clear

"Yeah, leave him to me. His powers have no effect on me." Ichigo said

Ichibe recovered from that and flashed in an attempt to attack the trio. Ichigo easily blocked him but he was pushed back, slightly

"Go." Ichigo said and kicked him back, breaking the sword lock before putting the soul reaper on the defensive

Aizen and Zhakuro looked at the horsemen, all of which nodded in agreement with Ichigo's decision. With all of them in agreement, the duo climbed up another staircase, all the while engaging any blanks in their way and easily defeating them. On their way to the top, going through some rooms, corridors and more staircases, they encountered less and less of the blanks

"Why are there no blanks in this area?" Aizen asked as he could not sense anything or anyone at all

"We are getting close to the top. If anything, the soul king would probably want to face us himself without any interference. Besides, those blanks would only work against ordinary warriors anyway." Zhakuro answered before destroying a wall, revealing a shortcut to the top. "Let's keep moving." he said and led the way. Aizen followed him and unlike the previous staircases, this one was spiral and leading towards the ceiling. It didn't take long for them to reach the top and they ended up in an empty room. Zhakuro then destroyed the ceiling of that room and revealed the peak of the castle. When they exited, they found the soul king, sitting on a throne behind them. In front of him appeared to be three globes just floating around with some sort of tunnel connecting two of them. One of the globes was slowly disappearing and it doesn't take a genius to figure out what those three were

"Welcome, my son. It has been a while, hasn't it?" the soul king greeted the duo as he made the globes disappear

"Three thousand years or so." Zhakuro said with a glare. "I see you're still trying to destroy everything."

"It truly saddens me that you do not understand." the soul king said as he got up

"Understand how you generalize everyone due to the actions of a few? No wonder the soul reapers act the way they do. I guess they really take from their leader." Zhakuro noted, growing a smirk as he and Aizen readied their swords

"Let's do this then." the soul king said as he summoned his trident to his hand. Unlike an ordinary trident, this one appeared to have a spear on the end opposite of the main three blades. It was also silver in color and from the sides of the fork were two chains that were both hanging

Back somewhere from the entrance, the horsemen and Ichigo engaged the mind controlled royal guard. From the warning earlier, all of them were having a rather tricky battle. The royal guard were fighting with incredible speed and power. It was even suspected that this was beyond what even the strongest soul reaper would be capable of at their prime. The only reasonable conclusion was that the soul king has done something to turn them this way. Since the horsemen have just been doing some skirmish with the royal guard while Ichigo told Zhakuro and Aizen to go on, each of them decided to take their away from the other members so as to avoid any potential traps or sudden teamwork between the royal guard as well as ensure they don't drag one another with their powers, all the while watching their backs as the blanks were still just about everywhere in the lower levels of this castle

Shusuke lured Nimaiya away from the staircase and onto the lower levels, mainly the entrance level. The royal guard member mindless chased him all the way there and even destroyed many of the structures. It became obvious that the soul king has ordered them to destroy the intruders at any cost. Upon arriving near the entrance they came in, Shusuke quickly turned around and kicked Nimaiya into a wall before firing a green condensed energy blast at him. The attack scored a direct hit but Nimaiya, under the mind control of the soul king, shrugged off even an incredibly powerful attack. Shusuke was surprised at this, even though he shouldn't have been considering who their main target was. The royal guard member was surprisingly overpowering him with increased brute strength and forced the horseman back. Having had enough, Shusuke summoned another sword and decided to dual wield, completely turning the tide and forced Nimaiya to defend himself

Since he was already in bankai, Nimaiya was easily able to hold his own. After a while of being pushed back, he managed to kick Shusuke away before drawing some blood. Like many zanpakuto, he can use his shikai powers in bankai and this blood increased the lethality of its strikes. Shusuke easily used his own powers to heal the wound but when Nimaiya attacked again, the strikes were now more precise than ever and it gave the horseman some trouble. Nimaiya even fired some kidos as distraction and it further destroyed the surroundings

Shusuke has had enough of fooling around and decided to easily block the last kido with his bare hands. Even in the mind controlled state, Nimaiya was surprised and tried to launch another kido. This time it was a goryutenmetsu and it scored a direct hit, or so he thought as the dragons, instead of converging on Shusuke, was now rushing towards him. He was hit by his own attack and got injured because of it. Shusuke quickly pressed his attack and even in his soul king enhanced state, Nimaiya was overpowered

The royal guard member decided to then use the special ability of his bankai, which was using manipulating any drawn blood. With all of his blood spilled from the redirected kido and the horseman's attack, Nimaiya used them to swirl around him before suddenly appearing behind Shusuke. This wasn't a flash step or something similar. It was teleportation. Caught off guard, Shusuke was stabbed in the back and reeled from the attack. Without wasting a second, Nimaiya attempted the same trick but this time, Shusuke dodged it with a simply sidestep. Before the horseman could try something, Nimaiya quickly caused any drawn blood to explode including the one on Shusuke's back

The distraction worked, to a certain extent as before Nimaiya could land another attack, Shusuke was able to summon a green energy barrier in front of him. Having recovered himself, Shusuke suddenly caused the earth to crack before multiple spikes appeared from it, all of which heading straight for Nimaiya. The royal guard member barely managed to dodge and when it made contact with a building, it caused an explosion. Nimaiya took this chance to counter attack with kido, this time using a senjo koten taiho but another spike appeared and blocked it. From there, the spike that blocked it fired more spike shaped rocks at him. These spikes managed to score some hits and caused the royal guard member to reel before slicing it apart with brute force

This time, Nimaiya was the one distracted as Shusuke was suddenly behind him and suddenly slashed him across his back. Before the royal guard member could recover, the horseman quickly used that chance to bisect his opponent. With his body being sliced in two, Nimaiya dropped to the floor, lifeless. Shusuke thought that was the end of that and began moving towards the peak, hoping to help Ichigo and Zhakuro in their fights but before he could get that far, a hiryu gekizoku shinten raiho was suddenly fired towards him. Reacting quickly, he summoned another barrier to block the strike and it dispersed. He looked behind him and saw silver energies restoring the damage done to the royal guard member. Shusuke immediately knew what was going on as there was only one person who's power was silver in color, the soul king

The same story was also happening to Ran'tao. She lured Kirio towards one of the upper levels, contrary to where Shusuke lured his. During the chase, Kirio was ruthlessly firing kido, not at all caring about the surrounding castle just like Nimaiya. This was in stark contrast to her usual personality. Regardless of that, Ran'tao eventually ended up being surrounded by an army of blanks upon arriving a good distance away from Ichigo's battle. As the blanks moved to engage her, they were suddenly sliced up by an unknown force that came from the horsewoman

As soon as Kirio caught up to her target, the same force blocked her attack before Ran'tao forced her back. When Kirio recovered, she was instantly on the defensive as Ran'tao engaged her in a swordfight. Realizing that her opponent had the upper hand, Kirio decided to summon more blanks to her side. The blanks arrived a few seconds later but were instantly destroyed like the ones that were first here. Unlike Shusuke, Ran'tao opted to finish her fight as soon as possible so she slowly pushed back the royal guard member with her superior strength

Kirio then finally decided to use the powers of her zanpakuto. Since she was already in bankai, all of her powers were at his disposal. When she managed to push back the horsewoman, she slashed the air in front of her, unleashing a huge sound wave. Ran'tao was caught off guard and was hit, receiving some injuries. She shrugged it off and noticed Kirio attempting another sound based attack by stabbing the ground, unleashing an omnidirectional sound blast. Quickly reacting, Ran'tao summoned a blue barrier around herself. Even though it blocked the worst of it, she was still pushed back a bit. Taking this opportunity, Kirio flashed behind Ran'tao and tried to run her through but the horsewoman was even faster than her and she easily flashed above before firing a powerful energy blast, which was the same color as her barrier. Kirio launched a sound wave and caused the energy to disperse and create an explosion

Ran'tao just charged through the smoke and locked swords with the female soul reaper. Since she was on top, Ran'tao was slowly but surely forcing her sword down on her opponent. Kirio was struggling not to get cut in two but it was futile. Instead, she just used a desperate attempt to flash away, which worked much to her surprise, before firing a senju koten taiho. Ran'tao simply used her powers, the same invisible, unknown force that shredded the blanks and caused the kido to disperse. Kirio was surprised at what exactly was the power fo this woman but she wasn't able to think about it for too long as the area soon became shrouded in fog

Unable to see her opponent due to the dense fog, Kirio warily looked around, almost as if a ghost was haunting her. She tried to release sound waves but the fog was too thick and she couldn't aim. Even if she released her sound wave in an omnidirectional attack, she wouldn't have the slightest clue if it made contact. Kirio decided to try something else, which was using her shikai's powers instead of bankai. Unlike her bankai which was offensive in nature, her shikai was more of utility and it released a small sound wave. Ran'tao noticed the really small sound wave and knew exactly what her opponent was doing, echolocation. Without even saying a word, she summoned her barrier once more and the instant she did, Kirio already charged at her but was blocked by the barrier

To her surprise, Kirio was then shocked by lightning that came from the fog. In desperation, she unleashed another omnidirectional sound wave but Ran'tao's barrier was still up, rendering it useless. It wasn't just one lightning bolt that came from the fog, it was multiple lightning bolts and it threw the soul reaper around from the impact. Unlike Candice's lightning, these were far more powerful. The lightning strikes soon stopped after a while and when Kirio thought she had finally gotten a break, she was instantly shredded apart by the same unknown force from before. Suffering minimal injuries, Ran'tao also opted to help Ichigo finish his fight so they could all move to take on the soul king. When she tried to flash away, a sound wave was suddenly fired at her. Since Ran'tao had her back turned, she was unable to defend herself and was hit. She quickly recovered from that attack and saw that her opponent's shredded body was being put back together by a silver force, the soul king

Oko also did the same to his opponent, which was Senjumaru. From the get go, he had been at a slight disadvantage as he was instantly pierced by his own clothes, courtesy of the soul reaper's power but like with the others, his regenerative powers were incredible so he just healed through it before knocking her away. Senjumaru was surprised at how her attack was just shrugged off like that and realized this was no ordinary opponent. Fueling the surprise, Oko actually opted to run away. He even went as far away onto one of the walls of the castle that separates it from the outside and destroying it, thereby taking the battle outside

Senjumaru gave chase to her opponent, all the while firing kidos at him with every single one missing. Outside, an army of blanks soon appeared from to block Oko's path. He was slightly caught off guard by this and was forced to dodge some attacks before he recovered himself and just swatted them aside. The soul reaper took this chance to stab him from behind but he merely vanish before appearing behind her and slammed her into the ground. Unlike her shikai, where she had to release some threads, her bankai can do the same without that requirement, along with some other utility options

With the help of her artificial arms, Senjumaru actually had the horseman on the backfoot for a good amount of time. That was, until Oko suddenly broke them all apart. The speed at which he broke them surprised the soul reaper and left herself open to an attack which Oko gladly took and slashed her across her torso. Senjumaru managed to avoid the worst of it by the skin of her teeth. She managed to recover herself and fight without her artificial arms. It didn't really help her that much since Oko was much more skilled as a swordsman so she decided to use her bankai's power

Suddenly, Oko's clothes felt heavier and heavier to move, not that it would affect him in the long run. With Oko suddenly moving slower and slower, Senjumaru gladly took advantage of this and forced him back. After a while of fighting, Senjumaru decided to end it by suddenly having Oko's clothes pierce him but unsurprisingly, Oko just shrugged it off and kicked her away before slamming her into the ground. The soul reaper became furious at this and launched a point blank hiryu gekizoku shinten raiho when Oko got close and it forced him back. Before he could even react, some threads appeared and bound him to the ground. Knowing what might happen, Oko suddenly froze the threads and broke free just as Senjumaru came in an attempt to run him through

The soul reaper was surprised at this move but didn't think about it for too long and used her utility options provided by her bankai. Instead of using it to weigh down her opponent, she instead used it to extend her own clothing and replicate her artifical arms with each having a needle at the end. Her new, multiple arms allowed her to force back the horseman. She didn't really bother to attack him with her spiking his clothes due to the fact that they seem to be unable to do anything significant. The title of 'great weave guard' was well earned for her as her zanpakuto perfectly aided that title. While she was attacking, she would also launch some random kidos at the horseman, both hado ninety one and eighty eight. A couple of them did hit but eventually, Oko blocked them with a red energy shield

Deciding to end the fight now, Senjumaru littered the ground by extending her clothes before imbuing them with poison, completely making the ground poisonous to everything as the grass and other plants started to slowly die. Oko noticed this and became a bit sad but decided not to ponder it for too long. Putting away his sword, he pointed both hands at the soul reaper before blasting her with a very large pressure of water, one that would dwarf even Harribel's ultimate technique in segunda etapa. This hit completely forced the soul reaper back and it nearly drowned her. The only reason she wasn't instantly drowned was because of the soul king's power. She got up after a while only to find her opponent gone. She thus decided to use the true power of her bankai, which was extreme poisoning. It wasn't exactly limited to clothing but it did require them to a certain extent. She used her cloth made artificial arms to spread poison in a near omnidirectional attack. Unfortunately for her, all of it suddenly froze in mid air

Senjumaru was surprised at this and a small realization hit her. Her opponent's power was complete and absolute control over water itself, in all of its forms. Since the atmosphere was always filled with water, it was a surprise that he allowed her to go this far but then again, it might be to see if any powers of hers might interfere with his. The instant after realizing this, she was suddenly frozen in ice before it was melted by an incredibly scalding blast of water. Since Oko's ability was utter manipulation of water, he transformed himself into water vapor as to hide from plain sight and nearly burned her with that scalding water. Nearly was the key word as he suddenly used a very potent technique which was a vicious whirlpool that suddenly threw Senjumaru into the air. It didn't stop there as when the whirlpool's pressure surrounded her, she was then pierced by spikes of ice all over her, freezing her solid before being dropped from an incredible height, instantly shattering her upon hitting the ground. Like with the others, Oko thought that was the end of it and returned to his normal form before trying to head back inside the castle when he was suddenly shot with a kido that he barely dodged. It was then that he realized that this was gonna be much more tricky since the soul king was directly influencing the royal guard

Nozomi also took her opponent, Tenjiro, away from where they first encounter. Instead of luring her opponent away like the others did, Nozomi merely pushed him off the level they were on before destroying away at the floor on the level below. That move also destroyed some of the lower floors and they soon ended up in an underground area. Tenjiro was painfully slammed against the underground floor that before he could even regain his composure, Nozomi had already run him through from above. In an attempt to end this then and there, Nozomi charged up a purple condensed energy blast. Tenjiro noticed this and reacted quickly by blinding her with a very bright light. It worked as Nozomi prematurely launched it and in that instant, Tenjiro was able to move away. He did appear to have a rip on one side of his body as Nozomi's sword still pierced him when he dodged. It was a wise move for him as that attack nearly created a crater on the floor

Since Nozomi was still blinded by his ability, Tenjiro tried to cut her down. Acting on pure instinct and other senses, Nozomi dodged most of this but got hit a few times. When she did regain her sight, she blocked Tenjiro's next attack rather easily. Nozomi then kicked him away and flashed from side to side, hoping to avoid that ability. Tenjiro was barely able to keep up even with him being that fast. Nozomi eventually slashed him across his torso. Taking this opportunity, Tenjiro attempted to use his powers once more and used one of the powers of his bankai, creating illusions out of pure light. He used this right after he was slashed but before he could fully pull it off, Nozomi cut him once more. When the illusion took effect, Nozomi looked confused at where she was as the surrounding area changed, vizually anyway

The horsewoman looked around in wonder as to what was happening. Given what happened earlier, she figured that the soul reaper had the ability to manipulate perception or light, or both. Knowing that the horsewoman couldn't find her under this illusion, Tenjiro used this chance to throw some daggers, all of which were aimed at her neck. Nozomi managed to see them when they got close but was hit at her back as the ones she saw were nothing but illusions. Realizing that Tenjiro can actually kill her if she got too reckless, she used her own powers. The next batch of daggers suddenly melted the closer they got to her, much to Tenjiro's surprise

This was of course, just for show. Nozomi realized that she would never be able to finish him off like this so she raised her spiritual pressure greatly. Tenjiro was even more surprised at how much power the girl was exerting and the fact that he couldn't sense any of it only made him worry even more despite being mind controlled. Nozomi's power easily dispelled the illusion before she fired a purple condensed energy blast at him. It scored a hit and threw him into a wall before Nozomi caused the ceiling to collapse and crash down on him. It didn't take long for Tenjiro to come out of the rubble and try to attack her once more. This was what Nozomi was waiting for as she suddenly flashed in front of him and sliced his sword in two before kicking him away. Tenjiro easily recovered from this but was forced to dodge as Nozomi very aggressively attacked and with his sword cut in two, he couldn't even block

Tenjiro then attempted to use some kido barriers to trap his opponent but even that didn't work. A single slash was more than enough for Nozomi to break through any barriers and with him surprised at it, he was once more slashed. Nozomi then fire another purple energy blast, this time at point blank range, and caused another explosion. With him being thrown away once more, Tenjiro used this chance to use his light powers to hide from sight, going invisible. Nozomi was surprised at how her opponent suddenly vanished before her eyes but didn't panic. This was an almost identical ability to Ichigo's and knew perfectly how to counter it. She just stood there, almost as if waiting for Tenjiro to attack. When he noticed her looking like she was begging to be cut down, he quickly tried to backstab her

It didn't work as the remaining half of his sword was melted when he got close before being kicked into the ceiling. Before coming down, Tenjiro decided to use his bankai's powers to repair the blade with light and managed to fight her on equal ground after dropping. Nozomi was a bit surprised by what the soul reaper did but didn't bother to think about it too much. She just focused on defending from his strikes. With her on the defensive, Tenjiro was quickly switching from using sword attacks to firing some offensive kidos, namely hado eighty eight, ninety one and seventy three. Nozomi managed to dodge most of them but was eventually hit by a senju koten taiho when she blocked a sword attack

Deciding to end this then and there, Tenjiro created another illusion to hide his movements. He then decided to use his strongest attack, which caused the illusion to create a sphere around his opponent before getting slowly collapsing on itself, slowly crushing whatever was inside. Judging from the spiritual pressure, Nozomi concluded that this is his or one of his strongest attacks and thus breaking through it would allow her the chance to finally end this once and for all. Compared to the level of power she and the other horsemen possessed, it was child's play to just power through it so she waited until she was just about to be crushed before unleashing her powers. The moment she did, everything almost instantly melted, including the walls and ceilings, as a massive inferno suddenly took place

Tenjiro was more than surprised at how his strongest attack was easily repelled. Despite the royal guard now mind controlled by the soul king, it became evident that he didn't give them a power boost. It wasn't that unreasonable considering that too much power can literally destroy the soul. Only Aizen was able to achieve that feat and even then, that power was limited in a few ways. Tenjiro just stood there, speechless, as the inferno suddenly melted everything. It didn't help that the floor was also turned into lava, preventing any movements. With him trapped, it didn't take long before the inferno burned Tenjiro to a crisp and collapsed most of the area they fought on

As with the others, Nozomi thought that was the end of that and the inferno slithered its way through the rubble and onto the main ground level before it turned into her normal form. The moment she did, the floor suddenly collapsed, courtesy of a kido fired from beneath. Nozomi managed to find her footing and as such, didn't fall helplessly. She once more found herself where she fought the royal guard member and saw his crisped body slowly return to its usual form by a silver energy. She instantly recognized this power as one belonging to the soul king

Ichigo on the other hand, was still at where they all first encountered the royal guard. By this point, he swore that he killed Ichibe already. While he would rather not have to kill him, the soul reaper under the control of the soul king was gonna be a threat in one way or another and considering what was at stake, he had to go. Unfortunately for him, whenever Ichigo dealt a lethal blow, Ichibe would suddenly use some kido to keep him here when he tried to leave and like with the others, he was being restored to life by a silver energy. Unlike the horseman however, Ichigo had no idea who it belonged to and thus have killed him about four times by the time the horsemen thought they dispatched their opponents

Also, instead of trying to fight him on fair grounds, Ichigo simply brute forced his way through Ichibe and with his powers completely negating the effects of Ichibe's, it was far too easy. Even Ichibe's renaming powers had zero effect on him since after all, it was darkness based or something similar. Another thing that separates his fight from the horseman is instead of using his full power to win, he just used brute force. During the times he already beat up Hyosube, Ichigo noticed the effects of the horsemen's powers and realized the real reason why they were called 'the four horsemen'. That title was incomplete as it should have been 'the four horsemen of creation and destruction' as each of their powers has complete and total control of what life needs to thrive. Air, water, earth and fire or heat. On the creation side, these powers were most likely what allowed them to shape the original world but on the destruction side, they could almost instantly destroy anything and everything. Ichigo then wondered what the limits of these powers were but couldn't think about it as it was already the fourth time he killed Ichibe and yet, he was somehow restored to life

'Can't this guy stay dead already?' Ichigo grumbled internally

His inner spirits on the other hand, started to notice something. While Ichigo was putting the hurt on Ichibe, they realized that the other members of the royal guard would also share the same quality and if that was the case, the other horsemen would not be able to kill them for good. They would only be able to kill them a few times only for the soul reapers to be restored to life by the silver energy

**"Ichigo, if anything, I think this is a diversion."**

'I'm starting to think that too. But who could do something like this?' Ichigo responded as he effortlessly blocked the next strike. 'The soul king.' he thought in realization

_"Yes. It seems that he wants to keep you and the horsemen away from fighting him. If you and the horsemen all fight him at once, then even with his power, it is possible that you might all end up killing him. This way, he can pick you off one at a time once he kills Aizen and Zhakuro."_

'And I can't move away from this place because of this guy.' Ichigo grumbled as he kicked Ichibe away

**"Ichigo, do you trust me?"**

'Yes, I do.' Ichigo said, knowing exactly what his inner hollow was up to. As he caught Ichibe's blade with his bare hands, he threw him away before firing an arrow that blew off a portion of his body, which of course was healed by the silver energy. Suddenly, Ichigo's hair grew longer and his other hollowfied qualities soon appeared. Unlike the last times he hollowfied, his hair now had white parts on it, the markings did not appear and instead of white, the horns were now pure black in color. Instead of only his khyber knife turning white, both of his blades now turned white

Even though he cannot sense it, Ichibe knew that this hollowfication was far different from what Ichigo would usually do these days but still, under the mind control, attacked the hybrid. To his confusion, the hybrid just stood there but when he got close, he put his swords together and it transformed into its bankai form. Suddenly, Ichibe was completely shredded apart by attacks he could not even see

When the soul reaper was killed, again, Ichigo vanished. Unlike when he used any high speed movement techniques, his movements this time were so fast that it made his own hollowfied flash steps look like they were nothing but walking speed

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**This one took quite a while. It's rather ironic that I'm nearing the end and yet, I'm not releasing these as quickly as I used to but whatever. Anyway, I decided to just use those four powers to be the ones belonging to the horsemen. That way it would give some justification on exactly how they managed to shape the original world. There really isn't much to say except that the end of the story is almost near**

**At any rate, I might as well address some of the things in the latest review said from someone called 'Guy'. If anyone is interested in what he said then just check the reviews page**

**First of all, Ichigo was absolutely not unchecked. Remember, Kisuke is also in the world of the living and if Ichigo was doing something that was affecting the spirits, he would tell him. It also doesn't have to be Kisuke. Isshin, or just about anyone could tell him and if necessary, train him. On the other hand though, Ichigo was just focused on being a student, at least until all the trouble started so it would be rare for his power to affect anything. That was what was shown in the canon anyway**

**Second is, I don't understand what you mean about Orihime. Yes, I killed her but I did give a reason. She may be valuable but since this was far more brutal and more war torn than the canon, her personality just isn't suited. As much as the soul society want to secure her, it also does not change the fact that in the canon, Yamamoto had zero intention of rescuing her. Remember, Yamamoto told Ichigo to stand down and not do anything but as pointed out in one of the earlier chapters, if the soul society really considered her that important, they would have selected personnel almost immediately and moved out given the urgency. Instead, they simply prepared to fight in the fake town. For me, it seems that their agenda was something else entirely. To be quite honest, if Orihime could somehow cause the hogyoku to awaken faster, then that action only baffles me more as they should have sent the four captains a lot sooner. But yeah, I agree with how Orihime could have been done better, in the canon anyway**

**The next thing, it may be conclusions but it were foregone conclusions. The soul society already made it clear that they were gonna kill Ichigo if he sides with Ginjo and Ichigo witnessed it with his own eyes and ears. This could't even be considered as jumping to conclusions since you literally saw it. The part about White making guesses, maybe that could be considered as jumping to conclusions but really, it was already in the canon that the soul society planned it that way. I merely kept it like that with the only difference being Ichigo saw it himself. You say I made them unnecessary assholes, but the reality is they were already assholes even in the canon except it was only off screen, well most of them anyway. I only showed them being assholes just because it was gonna play a big part but I do think I may have made them more assholes than they already were**

**Another thing about the soul society is, they could have avoided all that nonsense if they had been honest with Ichigo. If they told him about what they did to Ginjo after saving Rukia, then Ichigo could have understood the necessity and maybe they could make a compromise however, they did not. After witnessing what they were planning, Ichigo's reaction was not unreasonable. You mentioned you could work with them professionally, well think of it like this. If you were in your workplace and your co workers are toxic, are you really gonna stay? No, you won't. You might as well work for someone else in that case**

**To be fair with Isshin and Kisuke, they could have told Ichigo about the truth but there is one thing you aren't considering and one that has been among the main focus when I wrote this, Ichigo's personality. If you're that hot headed, can you honestly think straight if all that info was dumped on you? I'm guessing no. His inner spirits however, basically forced him to be calm and learn how to think about the consequences of his actions, something he never gave a crap about in the canon. About those two with the issue with Ginjo, Ichigo's personality also comes into play. When you consider things, Ichigo could most likely walk up to Yamamoto's office and demand why they were spying on him and that's not gonna end well for any of them. If they did tell Ichigo about Ginjo, then the soul society would become suspicious on how the hybrid became aware of their actions to Ginjo and it would gain the two the soul society's ire. When you consider how the soul society acts, they probably would have done something stupid with them**

**The two not telling Ichigo about his heritage was Isshin's choice. Kisuke had no right to tell him anything about it. Again, Ichigo's personality would come into play but as his inner spirits forced him to realize, a parent would not want his child to be dragged into something like this. Think about it, would you really want someone you care about to be dragged into a war? I know I don't**

**I do agree with the visored being a wild card but honestly, I think they just wanted payback on Aizen and nothing more. They did after all, rejoin the court guard squads**

**When Uryu said he doesn't like soul reapers in the early part of the canon, every single one of us knew or should have known that it was a reckless choice, probably from some bad experience and we were right. Over the course of the story, Uryu eventually came to realize that not all soul reapers are bad and even willingly worked with them**

**Last thing is, Aizen. While it is true that he is not trustworthy but when you consider how much more powerful Ichigo is, the hybrid always had leverage. I don't think I ever explained it in this story but in the canon, Ichigo was somehow unaffected by kyoka suigetsu and I just kept it. That alone already gives him an edge and when you consider his new personality, he could always get rid of Aizen easily. That being said, since this is a war torn story, I made it as realistically as possible. As a soldier on the field without anyone commanding you, the best thing you can hope for is someone who has the same or similar goals. True, Aizen isn't trustworthy but they both had the same target and goals, the soul king and getting answers. Besides, it would really be a compelling case when someone like Aizen actually shows something that isn't smugness to you. Then again it could be a deception but Aizen never did anything stupid after revealing the truth about him to Ichigo and when you consider things, Ichigo would probably be the only one who would understand someone who went thru what he did. Also, Aizen was never really given a background in the canon, one which I gave him this time and even now, only Ichigo is aware of it. Also, Ichigo is no longer ignorant in this story. He already had knowledge that many soul reapers didn't even have**

**This story was never meant to portray maturity or morals or anything else related to it. It was always meant to portray a character doing what was necessary for survival and by necessary, I mean necessary. Reality is, what is necessary is not always what is right. As mentioned when I updated the prologue, this story took inspiration from the dark knight trilogy. The part of doing what is necessary is based off the league of shadows on how they wanted to destroy the corrupt, as well as batman covering up Dent's murders to keep gotham from going insane. The league might have been unjustified but it was still for the greater good**

**In line with the realism part of the story, it is also why I wrote the soul society the way I did. It can't be denied that they act arrogant and their mindset that they have to be followed. In reality, if you're arrogant, you're gonna get punished for that in one way or another and that's exactly what happened. They paid the price of arrogance twice, three times if you count Ichigo destroying the seireitei. In the canon, they were barely punished for being arrogant and even after they betrayed Ichigo, they got away scott free. So lesson is, don't be arrogant unless your name is Escanor**


	67. Chapter 66

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

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**Chapter Sixty Six - Destiny**

**-Royal Palace-**

At the peak of the castle, the battle between Aizen, Zhakuro and the soul king began while the horsemen and Ichigo engaged the royal guard. As to be expected of a god, the soul king swatted them aside almost instantly. The difference in power between him and Aizen was evident as his attacks were easily parried and his illusions barely have any signifianct effect. Zhakuro, being once a god himself, was faring far better. He was able to keep up with the soul king with his attacks and in some instances, push him back

This forced the former captain to just go for sneak attacks. Fortunately for him, he came prepared. What he was wearing now wasn't an ordinary random outfit but one he modified to hide his spiritual pressure like the one Kisuke made and with a bit of kido, he was able to completely fade from sight. Not all was going him way though as the soul king had the power to detect through presences, similar to Ichigo's unique pesquisa

The soul king didn't have it so easy. Despite being more powerful, his own son was able to keep up with him. His trident weapon proved to be very effective in fending off his two enemies. In the first few minutes of their fight, Aizen was launching sneak attacks on him while Zhakuro grabbed most of his attention. As he blocked an attack from his son, Aizen flashed behind him in an attempt to run him through. That trick was too cheap for someone like Aizen and the soul king easily saw through that it was an illusion from kyoka suigetsu. He pushed away Zhakuro and fired a silver energy blast in order to force him back before he grabbed Aizen's zanpakuto with his bare hand as the former captain tried to cut him from above

"Did you really think that would work against someone like me?" the soul king taunted with a grin as he dispelled Aizen's kido

"I was hoping it would but I knew it wouldn't." Aizen responded with a smirk which confused the soul king. The answer why soon came as Aizen flashed away, leaving his sword in the grip of the soul king as Zhakuro fired his own indigo energy blast

Aizen's attack distracted the soul king and the energy blast hit him head on. The soul king was sent reeling as that was not just an energy attack but one meant to cloud his vision. He was unable to see anything for the next few seconds and he was vulnerable. Aizen quickly used this chance to retrieve his zanpakuto which the soul king dropped and moved in to attack while Zhakuro flashed behind him in an attempt to slice off his father's head

Unfortunately for the both of them, dealing with someone like the soul king was not as easy as fighting an ordinary opponent. Knowing that they were up to something, instead of simply trying to recover his vision, the soul king focused on his pesquisa like ability and easily blocked both of their attacks in one move, much to their surprise. Zhakuro's sword, which looked like a claymore with a thick blade and a curved guard pointing towards its blade, was trapped between the trident's fork as the soul king turned his trident while Aizen's attack was blocked by the spear end. In one single quick motion, he forced Zhakuro to let his sword go as he twisted the trident while at the same time, forcing Aizen back. Deciding to get the soul reaper out of his hair first, the soul king threw his trident at him

Aizen quickly recovered from the soul king's last move and as he attempted to block, the soul king was suddenly right with the trident and grabbed it. It wasn't a flash step but rather, teleportation similar to the one he had when the hogyoku transformed him. The soul king then quickly teleported once more, this time behind him and ran the soul reaper through with the trident. It didn't work as that was an illusion. Unlike Ichigo who was immune to kyoka suigetsu, the soul king was affected by it although unlike AIzen's other victims, the soul king instead sees glass in the shape of whatever Aizen wants his victim to see instead of being the real thing

The soul king was impressed by this trick and Aizen's own speed. To be able to dodge the attack immediately after a teleport was nothing to scoff at. He turned around as Aizen was behind him now and the locked weapons. With his father distracted, Zhakuro summoned some chains that formed a net from the tip of his sword and threw them at the soul king in an attempt to bind him. Sadly, it backfired as Aizen was the one who was bound as the soul king teleported away, causing Aizen to nearly fall and get bound by the net. The soul king teleported above Zhakuro and fired another silver energy blast at him

Using his own teleportation, the blast instead created a crater as Zhakuro went to remove the chains on Aizen. With both his enemies in one spot, the soul king trapped them in a powerful silver translucent barrier before charging a more powerful version of his energy blast. Unfazed by this, Zhakuro teleported them both out to opposite sides of the soul king. This was a mistake as the soul king merely jumped up and fired the energy blast. Even though they were both able to dodge it in time, the explosion was even larger and it created a hole on the floor and even caused the building to shake slightly. The size of the explosion also hit the duo and Aizen was thrown into a wall while Zhakuro was only forced back. The explosion also caused a smoke to cover the battle field and block their vision

Thinking what he was after, Zhakuro summoned a vacuum energy right in front of Aizen. This turned out to be the right call as his father was already in front of Aizen and attempting to run him through but the vacuum pulled him away from his target. Annoyed by this, the soul king imbued the spear end of the trident and slashed it towards the vacuum, compelely dispelling it. He was immediately greeted by Zhakuro flashing in front of him in an attempt to cut him down. The soul king was slightly caught off guard by this and was nearly wounded before being forced on the defensive. He was even almost cut right across the torso. Even though it missed, it did manage to cut the soul king's crown by the front part on the forehead. The soul king was impressed by this and kicked his son away

"Impressive, my son." the soul king said as he removed his crown. "I haven't had this much of a challenge in a long time. Then again, being unable to move for a few thousand years doesn't really grant you any chance to fight." he said as he removed his crown

"I guess we are on the same boat then." Zhakuro replied as he imbued his sword with his indigo spirit energy and slashed it down similar to a getsuga tensho

"As if that attack will ever reach me." the soul king declared before slashing the attack with his trident, only for it to shatter like glass. His eyes widened at this as he realized it was an illusion and realized that Zhakuro used his powers to make glass illusion look like the real thing

"Perhaps you would be better off remembering you're not fighting him alone." Aizen said as he flashed behind the soul king and finally, a wound was inflicted upon the god they were facing, albeit only a minor wound

The soul king realized he let his guard down and quickly teleported away before the soul reaper could do anything else. When he reappeared a distance away from his opponents, he finally decided to take things seriously. Before he could even do anything, a black coffin suddenly began to surround him as Aizen used his favorite kido when he stopped for an instant. Unlike his other kidos, this one charged up almost instantly and surrounded him. Even the speed at which he was pierced him

When the coffin cleared, all of them felt the incredible power that the horsemen possessed unleashed upon their foes. The duo realized that they decided to end their fights quickly. They did wonder why Ichigo didn't release his own but if what he said was true and that Ichibe's powers did not affect him, then there would have been no need to use his powers. He was never the kind of person to use his powers against someone when it wasn't necessary and would mainly rely on his superior speed and strength to shred his opponents. The two of them looked at the soul king and saw that he too noticed the horsemen release their powers yet, he had a smirk on his face. They waited for a bit as they realize that if the horsemen finished off the soul reapers, then they should be here at any minute, only, they didn't come

Having had enough waiting, the soul king decided to attack and gathered energy on the fork of his trident before smashing the ground in front of him, sending cracks towards his enemies. Even though it won't kill them, Aizen and Zhakuro realized that if it hit, then it might cause the floor to split apart and if they fell, the soul king would have the chance he needs to kill one if not both of them. As expected, the cracks didn't even come close to hitting them

"Waiting for someone? You might as well know that your horsemen are not gonna come." the soul king said before summoning massive icicles from above and having them crash upon his enemies

Aizen and Zhakuro easily dodged every single one of the icicles and due to their size, the icicles easily pierced through the floor they were on. To their surprise, even with many holes, the floor didn't collapse or even crack

When the barrage of icicles ended, Zhakuro and his father resumed their fight with another sword lock. In their sword lock, the soul king decided to restore the damage to the floor, just in case. Aizen on the other hand, focused on what was going on. Surely fighting against the soul king wasn't just going to be as simple as killing him. He thought about how the horsemen's powers rose just earlier yet, they are still occupied. The level of power they used should have been more than enough to kill the royal guard yet somehow, they were still fighting. If they have been possessed, then the most logical scenario was that the two of them were alone in fighting in the soul king. Having realized this, Aizen wondered if anything else was going to come and interfere in their fight

Noticing that the soul reaper was in deep thought, the soul king decided to target him first. He pushed his son back and quickly teleported behind Aizen. The former captain noticed this and flashed away in order to avoid getting stabbed while Zhakuro chased after his father and attacked him after his attacks missed. Since this was getting annoying for him, the soul king twirled his trident for a bit and multiple duplicates of him appeared. Unlike anything else, these duplicates were indistinguishable from the real thing and could use all the powers the soul king used thus far

The soul king summoned a total of three duplicates and fought each of his enemis two on one. While Zhakuro was able to keep up, albeit it was difficult, Aizen was not. The soul king noticed this and had one of his duplicates fight off Zhakuro while everyone else focused on Aizen. The soul king, or one of his duplicates gathered energy on the fork of the trident. Whether it was a clone or the real thing was unknown and with a swing, it created a mist. Instead of simply blocking vision, this mist also prevented the ability to sense spiritual pressure and it clouded hearing. Aizen was slashed from multiple sides and he was sent reeling from the attacks. While he was injured, he couldn't even feel anything ever made contact with him, only that he was injured suddenly

Zhakuro had his own problems. This mist also seemed to have some sort of poison or substance that is making him dizzy. Normally that wouldn't be a problem but considering who they were fighting, this was not good. It gets worse as shadows of the soul king made themselves known through the mist and began attacking him. Despite him being dizzy, he was able to fend them off but did get some slight injuries on the process

That was a distraction so that the real soul king could finally begin picking them off one at a time. His first victim was Aizen and with just three duplicates, he completely overwhelmed the soul reaper and inflicted major damage. The speed which he inflicted them was so fast that even Aizen's regeneration powers that remained from the hogyoku was unable to heal him. One of the three soul kings ripped off Aizen's left arm, another pierced him with his trident's fork and the last one stabbed the soul reaper right in the chest from the front before causing the wall behind him to collapse and throwing him off of the peak. He then had the mist disappear and noticed his son slightly injured from his shadows before causing all of his duplicates to vanish into thin air. The real one was revealed to be the one who stabbed Aizen from his front

"Well now, son. It seems we're finally facing off one on one." the soul king said as he got ready to finish off his treacherous son

"I guess it is." Zhakuro said before deciding to up his game. Both of them resumed their fight starting with an energy blasts, creating an explosion before the two attacked each other with great fury

Zhakuro decided use one of the powers only he can use and pushed his father away before phasing right through the ground. He appeared right behind the soul king before managing to inflict a small wound. The soul king barely managed to use his own powers to increase the density of his own body in order to minimize the damage but when he tried to counter attack, his trident merely phased right through him

'Density shifting.' the soul king thought to himself as he remember this ability of his son's but he was well aware of its limit. It can only dodge physical hits and explosions. It cannot dodge any energy based attack even if it is a soul reaper's kido although it would take a considerably strong soul reaper to ever hope to damage his son. Shrugging it off, the soul king fired a lightning bolt and Zhakuro teleported to safety

This battle was gonna get a lot trickier now so the soul king decided to obscure the entire battlefield with mist once more. Not taking any more chances, Zhakuro summoned his energy around him and unleashed a lot of lightning bolts. One of them managed to hit the soul king and when Zhakuro noticed it, he quickly teleported to that location. His father was caught off guard by this and was nearly cut in two but fortunately for him, he managed to parry just in time

The two of them continued their attacks with Zhakuro barely being able to find his target while the soul king was using every advantage that he could find. Random energy blasts were being scattered everywhere and the two kept using their teleportation in order to gain the advantage. During this whole time, both Zhakuro and the soul king felt that Ichigo and the others completely dominate the royal guard, again, but even then, their fights still wasn't over and the reason for that was clear, the soul king

Having had enough, the soul king finally decided to use his own almighty. As his son was charging towards him, his blade was suddenly shattered before the floor suddenly cracked and caused him to lose his footing. It didn't stop there as he was suddenly attacked by silver energies that were somehow coming from the cracks. Zhakuro was well aware that the floor was perfectly fine thanks to the soul king fixing it earlier despite beings as powerful as them were fighting on it and he knew his father didn't unleash any of his energy in the last few seconds. He quickly realized what his father did and looked at him

"I trust you haven't forgotten this, my son?" the soul king asked as Zhakuro glared at his eyes, both of them now resembling the almighty

"Of course I haven't. I'm just surprised you let us get this far before using it." Zhakuro retorted as the energies inflicted significant damage on him

"I will be honest here. I didn't think I'd have to use this against the likes of you. I guess I was wrong." the soul king said in an arrogant tone before suddenly, his surroundings became distorted and he was stabbed from behind. He turned around and saw Aizen but made of glass. This was obviously an effect of his zanpakuto but somehow, it feels off. It didn't take long for the surroundings to return to normal for the soul king

"Have you forgotten about me?" the glass Aizen taunted back

The soul king was surprised at this and he was pushed back a bit. Suddenly, another glass Aizen appeared behind behind him stabbed him one more time. He quickly regained composure and tried to regenerate those injuries before he could receive any more but to his surprise, his regenerative abilities was greatly hampered. The soul king was then forced to block more attacks from more glass Aizens but he was now on the back foot despite it being obvious that he was way more powerful than the former captain. He quickly realized the reason why his regeneration was hampered, the last remnants of when Aizen fused with the hogyoku

Him realizing the reason as to how Aizen was dominating him for the moment was not enough as he was still unable to regenerate anything while more and more glass illusions appeared. The illusions didn't simply take Aizen's form but also some of the most powerful combatants. Yamamoto, Ichibe and even Zhakuro. Each of the illusions used the original's own power and with multiple of them combined, it finally caused the soul king to bleed when the Yamamoto illusion slashed him and unleashed a huge inferno. The soul king reeled from this attack and Zhakuro, the real one, was impressed as he observed it but he knew the grim truth. This wouldn't last

As the illusions prepared to continue their assault, the soul king summoned a barrier around him and blocked them all. 'Amusing how I could fall victim to how Ichigo defeated my other son.' he thought to himself as he smirked at the illusions before suddenly, all the illusions shattered like the glasses they were. "I take it this is the power of your bankai, Sosuke Aizen?" he said as he turned around, noticing said man walking towards him with his body covered in blue tendrils

"Who really knows? Maybe this is all an illusion." Aizen said with a smirk. He did wonder how even after all this battle, the castle remained mostly intact nor why none of the blanks were here but he just figured the soul king had something to do with it. This was his castle after all

"I see. So that's how you survived. Not many would be able to survive an attack from me and even my own son is on his knees. You on the other hand, was once transformed by the hogyoku. I take it you know the truth about how it was made right?" the soul king monologued and both his opponents took their time to listen to it. "By sacrificing so many souls, you were able to create an object that was able to bypass the limitations of the souls of today, not dissimilar to the energy I used to turn your ancestors into what they are now and..." he was interrupted when a Yamamoto illusion suddenly appeared within his barrier. The soul king quickly teleported away as even though he was sure to survive that, he was already pissed off that he was somehow injured

At this point, Zhakuro has already recovered from the almighty's attack and he fixed his sword using his powers. Although his powers were weakened thanks to his father's attack not being just an ordinary one from the future. He summoned another vaccum right where his father teleported. Aizen noticed this and tried to recreate Ran'tao's powers. He considered trying to replicate Ichigo's powers but wasn't fully confident he understood it. The horsemen's powers on the other hand, was something he understood as he was out of the fight for a few minutes

Not even fazed by this, the soul king merely used the almighty to break the vacuum but the moment he did, the floor directly beneath him suddenly collapsed. Only then did he realize that Aizen too was well aware of how the almighty works and if he already saw the possible futures, then they needed to distract him if they ever hope to land a hit

"You actually dare to try and kill me?!" the soul king said in a very angry tone

"If we didn't then why would be here in the first place?" Aizen countered before using multiple goryutenmetsus in rapid succession

The soul king had enough of taking unnecessary risks and decided to flash away, a high speed movement technique and not his teleportation. This way, it would be something new to his son as he rarely used high speed movement. It did surprise his two enemies as they barely reacted to it and what was even more surprising is that his speed was so immense that neither of them were able to see it. They didn't ponder it for too long as Zhakuro quickly moved in to attack again. Thanks to the almighty's attack, he was moving far slower than before. Aizen aided him by having his Yamamoto and Ichibe illusion join him. The joint attack didn't really work as Zhakuro was once more attacked by the soul king using the almighty

Aizen's illusions didn't really fare better as the soul king made it clear that he had only been toying with them. As both illusions got close, the soul king shattered both with a single swing and when Aizen created illusions of the horsemen, they too shattered almost instantly. It became obvious that he was now using the almighty to help him in this fight

Even with him using bankai, it was without a doubt that he could not defeat the soul king despite Zhakuro helping him. It seems that the blindspot of not revealing yourself is really the only way to avoid the ability that allows one to see the future

As soon as every single horsemen illusion that Aizen created shattered, both him and Zhakuro were suddenly slashed in multiple places in their body. There was no sword, or anything that ever made contact with them but it was no surprise. That attack was after all, none other than the almighty. What really surprised them both was the fact that the soul king could have used this from the start and yet, he didn't. This attack even forcefully sealed off Aizen's bankai due to the injuries he received and it also stripped Zhakuro of all his remaining strength

"It's a shame really. I wanted to enjoy this fight but it seems that neither of you won't let me. You should both be grateful I didn't use this from the very beginning." the soul king said as he began walking towards his two enemies. "This is destiny. All these worlds..." he said as he made the three globes from earlier reappear. "were meant to be restored to the original world, along with the peace we enjoyed so long ago. Accept this, and I just might let you two live."

"And let you kill so many innocents? Never. I may not be one to show mercy to the guilty but the innocents don't have to die, especially when they don't even know the truth about all of this." Zhakuro said defiantly as he forced himself to stand up. The moment he did get up, he suddenly felt more injuries and dropped to the ground

"Honestly, I don't really care about the innocents but I have sworn to myself that I will kill you and I'll see that through to the end." Aizen said and quickly fired a senju koten taiho but the soul king merely swatted it away with his trident

"Regretable, for you." the soul king said as he closed his eyes in complete disappointment. He then pointed his trident at Aizen and began sucking something out of him. The former captain quickly realized what the soul king was doing, removing his immortality. While he was impossible to deliberately kill him even by the soul king's hand, once his immortality was removed, it would be a different matter. "This kind of power, was never meant to be used by the likes of you or anyone else who lives in the present." he said but before he could, someone suddenly flashed behind him

Aizen and Zhakuro didn't notice who it was at first due to one thing, it's speed was immense that neither of them even registered him until the attacker revealed himself. The attacker quickly pushed the soul king to stop him from whatever it was he was doing before stabbing him with his sword right through the chest. The soul king coughed up blood at this as he was caught completely off guard. Before he could even react further, his attacker drove the sword upwards, completely slicing the soul king's upper body in half. The attacker then pulled his sword away as the soul king dropped to the floor with darkness now slowly devouring his body

When the soul king's body dropped, both Aizen and Zhakuro were incredibly surprised at who it was. It was none other than Ichigo in a hollowfied state but unlike what they know of it, this hollowfication was different. After a few minutes of dead silence, the two realized that it wasn't Ichigo but his inner hollow, Zangetsu, possessing him. Whatever the reason was they do not know but they do know that Ichigo could not have been defeated by the real Ichibe

At this point, the soul king began to realize exactly what his assailant did. A mere attack like that would never be able to do anything significant to him but that attack's target was something else entirely. Suddenly, an earthquake happened. In the first few seconds, it was weak but was quickly growing stronger and stronger. "I see. I really should have used... the almighty... from the start." the soul king said despite his upper body being sliced. There was no way he would recover this as Zangetsu specifically targetted his consciousness and mind, thereby removing his ability to use his powers or his body, as that was the only logical way to kill someone who had the power to see the future. "Sadly for you... the worlds are tied to my fate. If you kill... me. Everything... and everyone... di..." he said but was cut off as the darkness finally consumed his entire mind and consciousness

The soul king himself was shocked at how he allowed this to happen but he really couldn't blame anyone else as he let his guard down and even though he was still more powerful than Ichigo, the hybrid possessed by his inner hollow could potentially be a match for him and could actually defeat him unless he uses the almighty

As soon as he said that, every single member of the royal guard suddenly dropped and the same smoke in the shape of a skull that appeared from Haschwalth's corpse also came out of the royal guard members before they all collapsed to the ground. Whether they were alive or not was something none of the horsemen knew but they couldn't dwell on it. If they dropped then that can only mean one thing, the soul king has been defeated, at long last. All the blanks that came to help the royal guard also completely dissipated as soon as they dropped. Quickly, they flashed away and towards the castles peak

Unfortunately for everyone, both in and out of the royal palace, in just five minutes, the quakes suddenly got almost four times as strong as what it was a few seconds ago. Aizen, Zhakuro and Zangetsu all looked towards the three globes and noticed that the disappearance was now happening faster and now, another one started to disappear, most likely hueco mundo. At this point, it wouldn't even take half a day before everything would disappear and it was still night time. They wagered that before daybreak, everything they know now would disappear

* * *

**There you have it, the final battle of the story. That statement shouldn't even count as spoilers as that should have been obvious. It did take my quite a while to write as I've been busy with other stuff ****lately. I didn't give the soul king nor Zhakuro that many powers as the ability to see the future and reveal any secrets were already powerful enough. By reveal any secrets I meant when Zhakuro could see anything in a certain time. That being said, I did give them a few tricks but mostly it was just them having a massive amount of spirit energy**

**I suppose I'll have to explain the powers of Aizen's bankai then. First off, when Aizen uses his bankai, it distorts his target's surroundings. This is the first thing that happens once he chooses his victims. Now, let's take a look at his shikai. His shikai manipulates one's senses and can lead people to think something depending on what they want like how the Toshiro thought he stabbed Aizen but in reality, he stabbed Momo. What this implies is that Aizen could literally make someone think that they are fighting someone but in reality, they're just fighting thin air and looking like a complete idiot. In theory, Aizen could also use this to make his victims think they have been injured fighting an illusion when in fact, they are not**

**With that in mind, the nature of Aizen's bankai is almost the same as the last statement. It creates an illusion of a person or any living creatures. It cannot make an illusion of anything inanimate. Unlike the theory I just said about his shikai, the illusions made from his bankai inflict actual injuries. Meaning Aizen can't just lift the spell and his victim is suddenly hit with the realization he or she has been tricked. In other words, even though the Yamamoto and Ichibe fighting the soul king were just illusions, they inflicted real damage upon the soul king. This does have its limits though as any illusion made will only be able to use the real thing's powers if Aizen fully understands or at least has a small understanding of it and even if the illusion is of someone stronger than him like Ran'tao, the maximum level of power of the illusion will never exceed Aizen's own. The same is also true for weaker individuals. With his bankai's illusions, Aizen can raise the level of power if the illusions was of someone weaker than him like Yamamoto**

**Now, about the glass thing, since Aizen's shikai illusions shatter like glass when dispelled, I decided that for someone like the soul king, he won't be fully affected by the illusions. Usually, his illusions are flawless and indistinguishable from the real thing but since the soul king is that much more powerful than him, he is only partially affected and thus, the illusions appear like glass. This applies to both shikai and bankai, meaning that in bankai, the illusions too would be indistinguishable. All that being said, I decided not to give a name for Aizen's bankai and I never mentioned it in the chapter but its name remains the same, Kyoka Suigetsu. I liked that name and phrase so I didn't wanna ruin it **

**With this fight finally over, it won't be long before I finally bring an end to the story**


	68. Chapter 67

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Sixty Seven - Sacrifice**

**-Soul Society-**

The earthquakes has unsurprisingly put everyone on high alert. What the hell was happening in the royal palace?

"What's going on?" Lilynette asked in a panic

"Lilynette, pistol form, now." Starrk said in what was probably the most serious tone he has adopted in his life. Lilynette quickly obeyed as she realized her partner was in no mood for any nonsense

"Is it the soul king?" Bazz B asked

"We can't stay here. We'll get crushed." Isshin said as he sliced apart falling debris from a collapsing building using his getsuga tensho, one that wasn't completely destroyed by all the fighting

"He's right. We need to go to a safer spot." Bambietta said as she completely reduced the immediate area to rubble

"Where should we go?" Jushiro asked as he and everyone else tried to balance themselves from the tremor

"Let's go towards sokyoku hill. I think we should be safe there considering it's on a higher elevation." Candice said before firing lightning bolts to carve a path on any building that wasn't comletely razed to the ground

"Anything is better than this. Let's go." Cang Du said and led the way

The other espadas quickly fired their ceros in an effort to reduce as much of the area to rubble otherwise the debris might end up killing them. Even Grimmjow, who just regained consciousness a few minutes earlier joined in on the run. The fact that none of them have fully recovered from their injuries only made their pilgrimmage towards sokyoku hill much more challenging, not to mention the earthquakes was getting stronger and stronger. The fact that it was still dark only further compounded things for them

Eventually, after many times of losing their balance and being nearly crushed, all of them, including the soul reapers, finally made it to sokyoku hill

"All of you, get to this area." Kisuke said when he noticed them arrive

They all wondered why but their answer soon came as the part of sokyoku hill that didn't have a base connecting it to the ground also felt like it would collapse at any second

"Kisuke, what the hell is going on?" Apacci asked when they all arrived

"I don't know. I fear that the soul king could have defeated Ichigo and the others." Kisuke said before looking at the sky with a very concerned expression. "This is the end, for all of us."

**-Royal Palace-**

The soul king laid there on the floor, bleeding in a pool of his own blood as his body was sliced half way through. Zangetsu, Aizen and Zhakuro stood there observing as now, two worlds were starting to disappear and the third is also showing signs of disappearing while the tunnel between two was shaking violently

"What's happening?" Aizen asked in his usual calm tone but inside, he was barely suppressing the urge to panic

"**It's the end of the worlds. It seems that even after the soul king left his state of suspended animation, he still bound all the worlds to his own life. Look, even the soul society is starting to disappear now**." Zangetsu said as he pointed to the third globe before looking around, noticing the horsemen arrive. Through it all, they maintained their balance despite the very strong earthquakes. "**I'll leave the rest to you and Ichigo."** he said before his horns turned white, his sword turning black and the white parts of his hair turned to orange. The hollowfication markings also appeared on his face, indicating that Zangetsu has relinquished control of the body back to Ichigo

"So, everything really is slowly being destroyed." Ichigo commented when he noticed the globes slowly disappearing with his own eyes and slowly dropped his hollowfication

"Unfortunately so. We made a miscalculation in our plans, a fatal one at that." Ran'tao answered as she and the other horsemen walked towards the rest. As expected, none of them were that injured in the slightest sense after fighting the royal guard

"What are we gonna do? At this rate, I'd wager everything will be gone before daybreak." Ichigo asked calmly

Zhakuro and the horsemen looked at each other and passed a look of understanding, which did not go unnoticed. Both Aizen and Ichigo saw this and realized that they came prepared even for something like this to happen

"What is it?" Aizen asked as he noticed their expressions

Nozomi sighed before deciding to answered the question. While she wasn't afraid of this as it has been a long time coming, it was still such a burden. "We, all five of us, shall sacrifice ourselves to undo the disappearance." and the moment she said that, both Aizen and Ichigo widened their eyes in surprise at this as they never expected something like this to even be possible

"What? I thought you said that the worlds would eventually stop if the soul king is defeated? And even if it did, you can simply use the energies here in the royal palace to stop it?" Ichigo pointed out as he recalled their original plan from hell

"That was before we realized that the soul king didn't remove the the spell that bound the worlds to his own life. Now, in order for everything to remain in one piece, the worlds need something of equal amount of power in order to satisfy the amount needed." Oko explained

"And why exactly do you have to to sacrifice yourselves for it?" Aizen asked, asking the important part of this plan

"Life force is the greatest source of power in this universe, even greater than souls, which you used to create the hokyoku. Even all the souls that exist today wouldn't be enough to completely stop the worlds from disappearing. Yes, if we did that then it would stop but that would only last for a few centuries. However, if we use life force instead, then it will meet the amount but, it won't just be any ordinary life force." Ran'tao explained

"It must be one that is equal to or greater than the one that kept the worlds in balance for the last millenia. All of our life forces combined is more than enough to make up for the difference in power between us and the soul king." Shusuke finished the explanation

"You saw it for yourself, or rather, lived it yourselves, the soul king used his own life to keep the worlds in balance but as he did not use all of his life force, he had to stay in a state of suspended animation, at least until he could gain more power and even then, it wasn't permanent as we are witnessing right now." Nozomi pointed out and finally shedding some light on exactly how the soul king putting himself in that state kept the worlds in balance. "That being said, you can feel the soul king's corpse still having power. Just for good measure, we'll also use that power as a safety to keep the worlds in balance even without anyone sustaining it."

"What difference does it make if we use life force compared to a large number of souls?" Aizen asked curiously

"Because if you sacrifice someone else, then the power will be cut because the one in question might not be willing to let themselves be some sacrificial lamb and you cannot use someone's life force as sacrifice without their consent no matter how powerful you are, even if you are the soul king." Nozomi explained

"We don't have much time. We need to perform the ritual as soon as we can." Zhakuro said as he used his powers to summons some strange markings on the ground. The markings on the ground were pure black in color and they took the shape of three circles with each being slightly larger than the smallest one forming the center with the other two around it. Just slightly on the edge of each circle were other markings that look like a four point star, each of them pointing to a different direction like a compass. At the edge of each point was a circle but unlike the one in the center, this one was just a plain circle and there was only one. All these markings however, were surrounded by an even bigger circle. Unlike the other circles, this one was red in color

"What are those?" Ichigo asked as he noticed that all of them were surrounded by these markings

"This is what we'll need in order to finish the ritual." Zhakuro said before giving some vital information about all of this. "Listen well, Ichigo, Aizen. Our ritual is only meant to stabilize the rest of the world, for all eternity. None of the damages due to the war will be fixed nor will all the lives that were lost. However, once the ritual is over, there would be no need to maintain the balance. Yes, the reincarnation cycle will still remain but even if the number of souls isn't balanced, everything will remain stable. There might also be some other random changes however, we are not sure yet."

"That's fine. I already suspected as much. Then that means once the ritual is over, everything will be back to normal?" Aizen asked with Ichigo nodding in agreement

"Not necessarily." Nozomi answered and surprised them both. "The only thing that will be guaranteed is that everything will stop disappearing and these quakes will be over along. All soul reapers, hollows and quincies will also remain the way they are but for the humans, there might be some slight changes to their very being although what is something that not even us can predict. This is due to how vulnerable humans are after the soul king drained the world of the living of all its ambient spirit energy long ago. However, this is only a possibility and not yet guaranteed."

"Then that means that it will be up to us to find out if the humans actually changed and thus, act accordingly." Ichigo concluded. Along with Aizen, he was hoping that the humans would actually remain the way they are otherwise it would cause problems in the future

"Do not worry too much about it. This ritual is also gonna use the ambient energy here in the royal palace. When it is over, the royal palace will be no more." Shusuke said reassuringly

"What about the sinners? Surely, they'll be back one day." Aizen asked curiously

"Take these." Ran'tao said and walked to the two boys, handing them over some crystals. These crystals were the same that Ichigo saw when Yhwach attacked here

"Don't those things manipulate how fast time flows?" Ichigo asked as he remembered what these crystals were used for

"Yes but they can also be used to completely destroy any realm without affecting another in any way." Ran'tao answered as Ichigo took the crystal

"Why are there three of them?" Aizen asked as he noticed the number but he pretty much had a wild guess

"Each of these crystals is meant to be used in the three worlds with one for each. If brought to the area with the most concentration of reishi, one can use it to completely destroy that world, granted, it will not be an easy task. Since hell is a much larger place than all three worlds combined, you would need all three in order to destroy it completely." Ran'tao answered

"And by extension, completely remove all of the sinners from existence." Ichigo concluded

"Yes, however, in order to pull this off, it must be done at where the seal that held us was. You already know where it is." Ran'tao said before adopting a grim expression. "There is also one more thing, in order to successfully destroy a world, the user must remain with it until the very end." she said. Both boys frowned at this as it implied that one of them had to sacrifice themselves in order to get rid of the sinners forever. Ran'tao noticed this and spoke before any of them can volunteer. "Unfortunately, you will not be able to do this Aizen. The power you have won't be enough to destroy all of hell. If you were the one to do it, then it is possible that some of the sinners would survive and you would only be giving them a free gateway as this will also completely destroy the barriers that separates hell from the other worlds."

Aizen's eyes widened at this before he looked at the hybrid

"That's fine. I never expected to make it through alive anyway." Ichigo said before looking at the former captain. "Then I guess I'll leave it to you to find out if any humans actually changed during the ritual."

Aizen was uneasy at this as even with his personality, Ichigo was still far too young to sacrifice himself for good but ultimately, he agreed to it as this war was never about what one felt was right but one where you have to do what is necessary. "I'll do it. It's been a time well spent knowing you, Ichigo Kurosaki." he said and extended a hand, which Ichigo gladly took and shook it

"So, how do I use the crystal to destroy hell?" Ichigo asked

"It's quite simple. The crystals themselves are just a container. Inside lies the most destructive form of the ambient energy that existed long ago. If you use break the crystal, that energy will be released. This energy however, was only meant to destroy the world it is in as that is how the soul king designed it long ago after the original world was sundered. To break it, just release all of your spirit energy into it until the crystal breaks." Ran'tao explained

"Sounds simple enough." Ichigo said as he put the crystals in his pocket. "I don't suppose you have a shortcut to hell, do you?"

Nozomi and Oko looked at each other at this question before using their powers to open a portal directly into hell

"Take note, Ichigo, we will only be able to send you to the first level. You'll have to make your way down towards the seal on your own and don't worry too much about the areas where time doesn't flow. Those crystals will protect you from it." Nozomi warned

"That's alright with me." Ichigo said and walked towards the portal. Before he entered, he turned around. "It was nice knowing you all." he said before leaping into the portal and it closed

"Something bothering you?" Zhakuro asked when he noticed Aizen just looking at where the portal was

"Earlier, you implied that you can do just about anything by using life force, right?" Aizen asked and got a nod from the firstborn. "Can you also something else to accomplish something similar?"

"What do you mean?" Zhakuro asked curiously before Aizen told him something. "Yes, that could be possible but at this point, nothing is certain yet."

"That's good enough." Aizen said before looking down to where the royal guard were engaged. "What about the soul reapers?"

"Once we begin the ritual, we will teleport you and the soul reapers to the soul society however, since the royal guard were taken over like that by the soul king, I cannot be sure that they will survive." Shusuke answered before he and the other horsemen took their place at the circles at the end of each point

"It's time to go." Zhakuro said as the quakes stopped when he stepped on the central circle. Soon, the quakes suddenly stopped but it was only in the royal palace. Aizen then looked to the distance and notice that everything began to break apart before swirling around the peak of the castle they were in. "Alright, this is it. TIme to go, Aizen." the firstborn said before raising his hand and pointing it at the soul reaper

Aizen, along with the royal guard, then all vanished from the royal palace

**-Hell-**

Ichigo arrived at hell and it was just as he remembered it, white blocks and blue passageways. This time however, he knew this won't be easy as the kushanadas won't be welcoming him. As soon as he realized it, he looked to his side and noticed the kushanadas phasing through the things. 'They don't look friendly.' he thought with a smirk

Soon enough, the kushanadas arrived at where he was standing and attempted to crush him with their hands. Since they were giants, their movements were incredibly slow and Ichigo just observed them. When they brought down their hands, Ichigo quickly flashed to the blue passageway and quickly destroyed it, revealing the drop towards the lower levels

As he was already familiar with most of hell's structures he easily raced through the next levels. Eventually, he reached the remains of the deathrise citadel. Immediately upon arriving, he was met with some ghouls and dullahans

'What? They're back already? Then again, they are just foot soldiers.' he realized before unleashing a getsuga jujisho, shredding them all apart. Ichigo then moved towards the citadel and found where the entrance to the underground was. Before he entered the underground, he burned every sinner in the immediate area to avoid any interference. This was where the easy part ends as Ichigo didn't fully remember the labrynth. Thinking quickly, Ichigo released his flames to navigate for him and simply find the right passageway

It took him quite a few minutes before his flames found a dead end and Ichigo quickly headed towards it and found the wall that leads to the lowest level. "This is it." he said to himself and touched the wall, revealing the lowest level of hell. When he exited the labrynth, the wall closed itself and it was to Ichigo's favor as that meant the sinners won't be inferfering but just to be safe, he used his flames to seal the wall off

The hybrid then moved towards the cave where he met the horsemen but he felt something was off. He wasn't sure where to break the crystals but to his surprise, the closer he was to the cave, the crystals began to pulse and it got very strong when he was inside

'It's time.' Ichigo thought before putting the crystals into a rock that was shaped like a pedestal near a wall. The hybrid then began channeling all of his spirit energy into the crystals and after nearly fifteen minutes, the crystals began to crack

_"Do we let him do this?"_

**"Yes. There is something Ichigo doesn't know about this. Just leave him be as he gets rid of all these morons."**

_"Alright. I hope you are right about this."_

**-Soul Society-**

Everyone was still in the part of the hill that had a base connecting it to the ground. It was a very wise move as just some time after the tremor happened, the part of sokyoku hill that wasn't directly connected to the ground below was starting to fall apart. They looked outside and even in the night, they could see that the walls around the seireitei was being destroyed by the powerful tremor

"What the hell are we supposed to do now?" Liltotto yelled in a panic

"Nothing. If it really is true that Ichigo and the others were defeated, then not only can we not go to the royal palace but we also cannot defeat the soul king." Ulquiorra concluded. Even in a situation like this he was still really calm. "Kisuke, were you able to find out what Szayelaparro was working on?" he asked, looking at said person

"Just a theory, nothing that concrete yet. I was in the middle of trying to piece together the broken parts when these tremors occurred. All I could find thus far was that it was definitely meant to create a gateway towards the royal palace." Kisuke answered as he tipped his hat

"But you weren't able to fix what Szayelaparro was working on?" Nel asked

"No. Ichigo and Aizen completely destroyed it and there aren't any parts to work with due to the damage from this war." Kisuke answered

"Are you serious that we're stuck here while everything is gonna be destroyed?!" Hiyori raged as she looked angrily at the sky

"I guess this is it for all of us then." Shinji lamented and looked at the others, all of which had similar expressions, despair

Suddenly, the earthquake stopped. One moment it felt like everything was going to be torn apart then in the next few seconds, it stopped without warning. This sudden stop in the quake completely knocked everyone off balance and they were thrown into the ground

"What happened?" Isshin asked as he was the first to get up

"At this point, I don't even know what to expect." Kisuke said and when he did, a light suddenly happened in the sky and six people dropped to the sokyoku hill. These six were instantly recognizable among everyone as Aizen and the royal guard. Out of the six, only Aizen was able to make a safe landing as the royal guard members were still unconscious and they slammed into the ground

When they noticed who it was that fell, only one question raced through the minds of everyone present

"Aizen, what happened up there?" Candice asked as said man approached them

"The soul king is defeated but we were wrong. During this time, all the worlds were still bound to his life. When we killed him, we secured the destruction of everything." Aizen explained

"So, that's the reason behind that quakes. Still, if the soul king is dead, why did the quakes stop?" Bambietta asked

Aizen looked down at this and adopted a sad expression, one which everyone noticed. "The soul king's firstborn and the four horsemen all used their remaining life force to stablize the world. At this point, the worlds will remain in balance and there won't be any need for the reincarnation cycle. They sacrificed themselves so that we could live."

Understandably, all of Ichigo's allies were sad at this news. None of them expected things to turn out this way. While they were all prepared, albeit uneasily, to die at the soul king's hands, sacrificing themselves for this was not something they saw coming. It didn't take long before one of them asked the inevitable

"Aizen, where's Ichigo?" Yoruichi asked suspiciously

Aizen's sad expression worsened at this before he closed his eyes. "In the palace, the horsemen found some crystals that could be used to destroy a realm without affecting another. Ichigo sacrificed himself to destroy all of hell and wipe out the sinners forever." he answered and surprised everybody. "I couldn't even do it myself as the power I have won't be enough to destroy hell and if I was the one to do it, I would only end up opening a permanent gateway for all the sinners." he said before anyone could berate him for it

As soon as he finished saying that, the sky suddenly turned red like it was on fire, completely lighting up the night. Aizen was all to familiar with this scene as it was the exact same color as the sky in the lowest level of hell. He figured that Ichigo must be nearly finished in his efforts to destroy hell itself. The sky appeared to be burning for nearly fifteen minutes before it suddenly turned into orange, then yellow, then scarlet before finally, a very bright light happened and it completely blinded everyone for a few seconds. When they all regained their ability to see, everything was back to normal

"What was that?" Nel asked as she was the first to regain vision

"Probably Ichigo. He's probably finished destroying hell since that red sky was the exact same in the place where we met the firstborn." Gin wild guessed

No one was even given the chance to respond to that as the royal guard finally regained consciousness

"Where are we?" Ichibe asked as he sat down. He could barely move a muscle. All of the royal guard could barely move due to being completely destroyed by the horsemen and Ichigo

"Is the nightmare over?" Senjumaru asked as she gripped her head

"Nightmare? What nightmare?" Kyoraku asked as he and some of the soul reapers went to help them

"I have no idea." Kirio said as Hiyori tended to her

"What was the last thing that you remember?" Aizen asked as he approached Ichibe

"I'm not exactly sure to be honest." Ichibe said as he tried to think it through

"It was the soul king." Tenjiro said and got their attention. "We were hanging out in Ichibe's palace as we were resting from Yhwach's attack when the soul king suddenly approached us."

"I think you're right. After that, he put us all in some kind of spell and we haven't been in control of our body since then." Nimaiya said before gripping his head further as it really hurt

"God damn it my body feels like trash." Senjumaru commented at how she felt

"Mine as well." Ichibe said and the other royal guard members agreed with them

"That isn't surprising. You were literally killed multiple times by the most powerful warriors from the distant past. The only reason you lived is that every time you died, the soul king would put your bodies back together to keep them from interfering in the fight." Aizen explained

"So, everything about the soul king. It was a lie then?" Ichibe asked in a sad tone to which Aizen nodded

Before anything further could be said, a vacuum suddenly happened above the seireitei but it didn't suck anything or anyone in it. Suddenly, another very strong tremor occured. Unlike the previous tremor, this one only lasted for an instant but it was very strong

"What was that? I thought you said that the soul king is dead?" Cang Du asked in a panic

"He is. That was most likely the ritual that the soul king's firstborn conducted." Aizen said before looking up. "It's finally over."

**-Unknown Location, Unknown Time-**

A body was suddenly slammed into the ground in a location far away

* * *

**Finally, half of the conclusion to all of this. I will have to give some spoilers though, the next chapter after this will be very short, like almost as short as the first three chapters I uploaded. That being said, here is the conclusion to the battle of the soul king. I'm planning to end this story at chapter sixty nine so there will only be two chapters remaining**

**I guess there isn't much more to talk about so that's it for now**


	69. Chapter 68

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Chapter Sixty Eight - The Tolls of War, a New B****eginning**

**-Soul Society-**

Just a few minutes after this war is over, many of the soul reapers tended to the royal guard. Hiyori and Shinji in particular were busy with Kirio, which wasn't surprising

Isshin, along with the captains from the world of the living, were really saddened with the news about Ichigo. None of them even got a chance to talk things through after all the lies and half truths they told the hybrid and now, he was gone, forever. Isshin in particular, had his problems doubled. How could he ever hope to explain this to his daughters, about a war that their brother was forced to participate and in the end, sacrifice himself for everyone's safety

"He's gone." Yoruichi said sadly as she watched the others. Many of the quincies were just sitting there doing nothing while the soul reapers helped the royal guard. The arrancars were only silent at this. They're probably the closest allies Ichigo has, even more so than the former captains due to them knowing the truth about him after his battle with Aizen

Many of those who are present wanted to blame Aizen for Ichigo's fate but they just saved their energy for a bunch of reasons, chief among them, Aizen is impossible to kill. He is still immortal after his interactions with the hogyoku. The second reason was it's pointless. Even if they somehow managed to kill him, it won't bring Ichigo back and that's not even mentioning how Aizen can also kill them himself

"Isshin, are you alright?" Ryuken said as he walked to the three former captains

"I'll be fine. I'm just wondering how will I ever explain this to Yuzu and Karin." Isshin said before looking down. "You were right. I am a horrible father."

"Don't blame yourself too much, Isshin. As your son said, a parent would do anything to protect his child." Kisuke said in a sad tone himself but it didn't help the mood as much

The four of them looked at where Aizen was and noticed him just standing on the partially destroyed part of the hill staring off into the distance

'I wonder what's on his mind. Does he know something that we don't?' Kisuke wondered to himself. One thing was for sure, when he gets back to the shop, he's gonna have to check for any signs of Ichigo

"He's right, uncle Isshin." Kukaku said as she and the other shibas arrived. "We shouldn't dwell too much about it. As much as this makes us sad, Ichigo would not want us to be like this."

Isshin just looked down at this as after all, she did have a point. "Yuzu and Karin are not gonna like this." he said sadly

"I know but they'll just have to find a way to cope..." Yoruichi said as she put a hand on his shoulder. "Just like the rest of us."

Aizen was well aware that those four were staring at him and he knew what Kisuke was up to. That man was never gonna settle with something until it was been proven. He thought about whether or not he should tell them about the potential transformation upon the regular humans but for now, he decided against it. Ultimately, the one thing he was really concerned about was whether or not it would work

With the arrancars

All the arrancars just sat in an area away from the others. They too were saddened at the death of the one who is responsible for them being alive. If it wasn't for Ichigo, the quincies would probably have slaughtered them, or worse

"Master Nel, are you okay?" Pesche asked and got everyone's attention

"Just thinking. I never thought Ichigo of all people would not make it out alive." Nel admitted sadly

"I agree. I was hoping he was joking when he mentioned that after Yhwach's death." Starrk muttered

Harribel was just silent at this discussion. Her aspect of death being sacrifice, she could not help but admire the fallen hybrid, and not in a romantic way but in an inspirational one. Her fracciones noticed her expression and immediately deduced what their mistress was thinking. It wasn't hard for them considering Harribel did the exact same thing for them long ago

Even Grimmjow became sad at this as he would not be able to get a rematch with the hybrid and he still owed him for breaking him out of hell but he just kept his silence

"What do we do now?" Lilynette asked as she was on the verge of tears

"We move on." Ulquiorra said sternly, surprising his fellow arrancars. "Us just mourning over him is not going to bring him back. As he once said, 'you cannot change the past'. We might as well try to live with this and move forward." he said before anyone could react. While he doesn't necessarily understand emotions that much, he still considered Ichigo as a trusted ally, more so than he ever did with Aizen or his fellow arrancars, at least until Ichigo showed up in hueco mundo many months ago

"He's right." Harribel finally spoke. "Ichigo would not want us to dwell on this."

"I agree. If anything, we should continue on. Ichigo wanted to protect his friends and family. Since he's not here with us anymore, we should do it in his memory." Nel added

They all then tried to regain their composure and looked to the others

Ginjo was also in the same situation as everyone else. He wasn't even able to apologize to Ichigo for what he was planning and his own partner in crime was killed because of his hesitation. This war really took its toll on everyone involved. While he has already apologized to Isshin after the war against the wandenreich, he still really wanted to do it to the hybrid. He looked around and noticed that all of his allies were thinking the same thing

With the quincies

Among all of the hybrid's allies, the quincies were probably the ones who suffered the most. Three of them were killed in battle and the girls were really injured

"What do we do now?" Cang Du asked as they were just in another area standing

"I have no idea to be honest." Bambietta said as she eyed Aizen, wondering what was on his mind

"What is it, Bazz B?" Liltotto asked as she saw said man for the first time with a thoughtful expression

"Just tired. This war was really something else and I thought us invading the seireitei was already intense enough." Bazz B muttered to himself

"I know. Whoever thought we would ever get caught up in something like this." Candice said as she sat down on the ground

"I don't know about you guys but I'm staying in the world of the living after this." Bambietta said after a few seconds of silence

"I'm with you on that one." Candice said

"What are you two up to?" Liltotto asked with a raised eyebrow

"Just trying to continue what Ichigo always wanted, to protect his friends. Besides, it's the only place we've got anyway." Bambietta pointed out

"Well, that's true." Cang Du said before looking at the arrancars. "I think they want to do the same as well." he said and all the other quincies looked towards them

"Am I the only one who finds it weird that someone not even half our age is the one that allowed us to ally with those who are supposed to be poison to us?" Bazz B wondered aloud

"Nope but then again, Ichigo does have the best of all worlds so it makes sense." Candice answered

"Still, what a way to go. With a bang, literally." Liltotto commented as she recalled the bright light in the sky

"I'm gonna be honest here. After how much he has changed, I would have thought that Ichigo would have some sense of self preservation." Cang Du commented

"That's true, but then again, I've known him for quite a while. If anything, I think that he has just become more focused in his goal to protect everyone he cares about." Bambietta argued back

The soul reapers on the other hand, were busy trying to heal the royal guard members. Some of them, namely Kenpachi and the other squad eleven members, didn't particularly care about the royal guard so they just stood there

"Ichigo is really gone." Yachiru said sadly as she appeared

"Yeah. I won't get a chance to fight him again." Kenpachi agreed with her

"What should we do now, captain?" Yumichika asked

"I'm going with Kisuke Urahara after this." Kenpachi said and it wasn't a surprise to his two subordinates

"We're with you on that one, captain." Ikakku said and surprised him

"Don't be surprised, captain. We've sworn to serve you until our very last breath. Besides, I find it really distasteful on what the other captains planned to do with Ichigo." Yumichika said

Before anything else could be said, something was going on with the royal guard that grabbed everyone's attention. Each of them glowed with silver energy in the same exact shade as the soul king's power. In just a few seconds, their bodies began to slowly disintegrate

"What's happening?!" Hiyori asked in a panic while the royal guard knew exactly what was going on and they weren't that bothered about it

"It's a side effect of the soul king's power." Aizen answered as he approached them. The fallen hybrid's allies didn't really react to it but were curious nonetheless so they went closer so they could hear what was going on. The only exception were the former captains

"What are you talking about?" Kyoraku asked suspiciously

"The soul king took over our very souls." Ichibe began and drew all attention to him. "It somehow bound us to his own life just like all the worlds and with him now gone, we are going as well."

"Is there any way to stop this?!" Hiyori demanded to know as she grabbed Aizen by the neck

The former captain merely pried her off before throwing her to Shinji. "No, there isn't." he said after getting the raging girl off her. "The powers the soul king possessed are well beyond our own and even my understanding. If they royal guard are disappearing now..." he trailed off before looking at the sky. "Then that means that his firstborn's ritual to stabilize everything has finished and taken its effect."

"So, they're going to die?" Soi Fon crudely asked, obviously not reading the room and resulting in her getting glares from many of the soul reapers

"I'm afraid so." Senjumaru said sadly as she and the other royal guard members accepted their fate

"The price we pay for defending a lie all this time, I guess." Tenjiro commented

"Kisuke, can you do something about this?" Toshiro asked, not wanting to believe what Aizen said earlier

"I don't have a clue to be honest. I never had the chance to analyze the soul king and I don't think anyone has for that matter so I really can't make a statement about it." Kisuke said as the royal guard's legs are now starting to disappear

"Don't be sad, little ones." Nimaiya said in his usual tone. "We make mistakes, we pay the price. That''s life. All of us got caught up in a massive lie but for now, just live and be better than what we once was." he said as he barely managed to remove his glasses

"Farewell everyone. I hope you can make us proud one day." Ichibe said with a smile as the disappearance happened faster. While the royal guard were already proud of the other soul reapers, what the old monk meant was that they finally settle everything from their past and look forward to a bright future, a meaning that everyone recognized instantly

A few seconds after he said that, they finally disappeared completely with their bodies dissipating into nothingness. As expected, Hiyori was the most distraught among all of them and for the first time, she actually cried and showed an emotion that isn't anger

A dead silence then took over as the soul reapers mourned their recent loss. Despite the arrogance of the royal guard, they were still highly respected among the court guard squad members

Ichigo's allies on the other hand, just kept their silence as well but all of them grouped up. A few minutes into the silence, they began discussing something among themselves with their voices low enough not to attract anyone's attention

Kyoraku noticed this along with Jushiro and pretty much figured out what they were talking about, although what the outcome of it was is yet to be seen. From the looks of things, they didn't seem to particularly care about that the royal guard just died before their eyes, which wasn't surprising since they weren't acquianted with them in any way

The soul reapers mourning them took nearly half an hour and only the two elder captains seem to have noticed what was going on. They didn't bother to mention it for whatever reason and just waited until eventually, every single soul reaper felt a slight sting near the back of their heads

"What was that?" Rukia asked as she nursed her head

"I blew up the explosives I put in your heads earlier." Bambietta said as she and the others approached the soul reapers

"I take it you don't want to continue the war then?" Toshiro asked

"No, we don't. As much as we still don't trust any of you, I think we have seen enough bloodshed for now." Harribel answered

"Thank goodness." Jushiro said in relief as none of the soul reapers wanted to have another war on their hands

"What about Ichigo killing our subordinates or you having those medallions?" Shinji asked curiously

"While Kisuke and the former captains don't exactly like it, we all agreed that we'll keep them, at least until you prove yourselves that you no longer want us dead." Ginjo said and surprisingly, even he agreed with the final decision

Soi Fon wanted to object to this for obvious reason but before she could even say a word, Kisuke spoke

"Do you want to have another war on all of our hands then?" Kisuke said as he noticed Soi Fon's expression and completely read what was on her mind. Soi Fon was unable to form a response to this and just glared at the shopkeeper

"No, we don't, and you're right, enough blood has been shed, for all of us." Kyoraku said before looking at the ruins of the seireitei. "I don't suppose we'll get any help in getting us back on our feet?"

"You won't, for now anyway. We still have things to take care of." Yoruichi said adamantly

"That being said, do note about the reincarnation cycle change. It won't be necessary to maintain the balance anymore." Aizen reminded the soul reapers about it

"Then that means there isn't any need for us." Shinji said in mock sadness

"Perhaps, but that doesn't mean we'll just kill you." Ulquiorra said, surprising them slightly. "However, if you do pose a threat to us again, then it will be another war."

"Granted, it will have to be something that all of you agree on. If only one of you wants to fight us then we'll only kill that person, unless the person in question proves all of you are on board so I suggest you keep a tight leash." Nel said in what was probably the first adamant voice she spoke in as she looked specifically at Soi Fon

"Why you..." Soi Fon said before calming down. "I guess you're right." she said after a while of glaring the the fallen hybrid's allies

"Would you mind if I asked what exactly made led you to this decision?" Byakuya asked curiously

"Just what Ichigo was not willing to do anymore, give second chances. As we said earlier, none of us have the slightest bit of trust in you but we want to see if you can actually change. The simple fact is, the person standing before you right now might not be the same as who he or she was five minutes ago and that applies to everyone. Maybe you can prove that you're willing to put the past behind and it should go without saying that none of us want to have another war right after this one ended." Aizen explained. The soul reapers were still furious at what he did before but ultimately had to accept that he earned his place among Ichigo's allies

The soul reapers were all relieved at this and were more than willing to accept this. As much as they don't like it, they would still have to prove themselves that they don't want these people dead anymore

"What's on your mind, Shunsui?" Jushiro asked when he noticed his friend just silent and appeared to be thinking

"Just that, from this moment forward, the thirteen court guard squads is disbanded." Kyoraku answered and surprised everyone except Jushiro, who already caught on to what he was onto

"What are you saying, Kyoraku?" Byakuya asked in a surprised tone. Even the fallen hybrid's allies were surprised at this turn of events

"If any of you still want to follow me, you are free to do so. The same goes for those who wish to leave. I will not sanction nor condemn you but my decision stands." Kyoraku said before looking at Aizen, specifically because that man was the only one aware or rather, had the slightest idea about the truth. "The thirteen court guard squads was an organization that stood in defense of someone that wanted us all dead and was made from a lie. If anyone is still willing to follow me, I will create a new organization where it's dedicated to live in peace for all beings that exist. It will be different from how we used to do things however." he declared his intentions

Everyone, especially the hybrid's allies were incredibly surprised at this. Maybe, just maybe, they could all live in peace with the soul reapers

To Kyoraku's surprise, none of the soul reapers even objected to his idea as every single one of them gave a supportive response, even the squad eleven members and minus the former captains. Even the visored were in full support in this idea and it was starting to show that Kyoraku was not like his predecessor at all

"I guess that settles it then. I hope you prove that you are not like Yamamoto." Bambietta said as she extended an arm, which Kyoraku gladly shook

"I hope that even though we were once enemies, that we can find the strength to leave our bloodied past behind us." Kyoraku responded with a smile

Just a few minutes later, the sun then began to rise, which was to everyone's surprise

"The sun? Wasn't it at dusk that we attacked? I could have sworn that it hasn't been twelve hours since then." Ginjo commented

"Probably one of the few random changes from the firstborn's sacrifice." Aizen concluded as they all watched the sun rise. 'Or maybe this is just a one time thing to herald a new age for all of us. Perhaps he knew things would turn out likes this.' he thought to himself

* * *

**Here is the penultimate chapter. I don't think the reconciliation part was a surprise considering this has been teased a few chapters ago but tell me, did anyone expect that ending for the soul society in particular?**

**Yeah and that means the next chapter will finish the story. Like the previous one, not much to say so I guess that's it for now**


	70. Chapter 69

**Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach**

* * *

**Finale**

**Chapter Sixty Nine - The Return**

**Six Months Later**

_During the time after the war_

_Half a year has already passed ever since the great war ended. During this whole team, there has been nothing but peace among all those who took part and made it out alive. It was to everyone's surprise that the soul reapers actually followed through on what they promised. Naturally none of them fully trusted them even after half a year but it was a good start nonetheless_

_At this point, Aizen has already informed Kisuke of the potential transformation among the regular humans. This did stop Kisuke from searching for Ichigo as that was the more immediate threat, more like problem. When the two geniuses considered how huge the world of the living was, it was going to be impossible to cover the entire world before a transformation happened and the person in question could have done something threatening_

_Upon realizing this, the duo decided to try something else. They created some sort of bacteria similar to the one Mayuri used to spy on Uryu. Instead of it spying on a person, it would instead pass on like a virus from one person to another and would relay information if a human outside of the enriched spirit zone actually gained any traces of spirit energy_

_This project of theirs took them an incredibly long time to complete, nearly one month after the war has ended and plenty of trials and errors. Luckily for them using it was easy. They just needed it to make contact with a human that has no spirit energy. To cover the entire world there was only one way, to release it in one of the airports as humans travel from one side of the world to another_

_As to avoid any more confusions, when the duo began their project to make this virus, they infomed everyone about this possibilty, including the soul reapers. As expected, they were unable to spend any resources in helping with this as they were busy with their own thing, namely as their home was the one that was turned into a battlefield_

_When the arrancars have heard of this, they also began to scout as much of the desert to see if their world also changed and left the finding of transformations to the world of the living group. Even though they all came from different areas of hueco mundo, a very large part of the desert still remained unexplored. With Rudbornn's help, they were able to explore more of the great desert but all that effort was fruitless, there was nothing there. Only some random adjuchas class hollows trying to hunt each other. What was surprising though was that the menos forest now actually extended from what they originally knew of. After the war, the forest now had random pathways that lead outside of the forest that were still underground_

_These new pathways were discovered about three weeks after war ended. Given the nature of this, Ulquiorra decided to personally investigate this as he was the strongest arrancar alive. Again, with Rudbornn's help, the process went much quicker and after about two months of exploration, it was discovered that forests similar to the menos forest appeared in hueco mundo along with valleys and other land formations. At the time of discovery, it was deserted so it was decided that some exequias remain and keep watch, at least until they could make some surveillance equipment to put in the areas_

_The soul society, like the arrancars, were busy with their own thing, namely cleaning up the damage from the war. Gin has also opted to stay with them for obvious reasons. Given that most of the soul reapers were killed by the sinners, it wasn't a surprise that it took such a long time. They were informed by Kisuke when Aizen mentioned the possible transformation of the humans but that was it. They couldn't do anything about it considering their numbers and to their surprise and relief, the others actually understood them_

_The group from the world of the living probably were the most damaged, emotionally. The former captains lost three of their students, Chad, Orihime and Ichigo. Isshin was undoubtably the most saddened and was further complicated when Yuzu wouldn't stop crying, which wasn't to anyone's surprise. Karin was much more understanding and mature. While she too was sad about it, she did understand the necessity although it didn't make things any easier for any of them. This also made them closer to their father's side of the family as Kukaku and the other shiba's tried to comfort them . Even Kon was really sad at the hybrid's death and felt guilty about continuing to use his body, which to his surprise, nobody really forced him out of it_

_The war wasn't all bad for them though, as Uryu and Ryuken finally reconciled from their not so friendly relationship. They even accepted the other quincies as one of their own instead of viewing them as nothing more than Yhwach's pawns. What makes this different from after their emperor's death is that during that time, they were doing it for a common goal, now, it was just quincies just accepting one of their own. Other than Uryu, most of them just tried to live a normal human life while still sharpening their skills from time to time. Even though there wasn't a threat coming, it was still better to constantly hone oneself rather than get rusty_

_Ginjo was also having his own problems and like the others, he just tried to move on. While he blamed himself for Tsukishima's death, the fact remained that no matter how much he beat himself up about it, he wouldn't come back so he might as well live with it. Like with the quincies, he also tried to live a normal life_

**-Hueco Mundo-**

Fast forward to present day, some slight tremors suddenly occured in hueco mundo. These tremors however, were nowhere near the strength of those that happened previously

Rudbornn quickly went towards the control room to see the source of the tremors as Kisuke has also created some tremor detecting devices in the event its epicenter is nearby. When he checked the instruments, he was surprised as there were not one but eleven epicenters within a hundred miles

"Rudbornn, what's going on?" Nel asked through their comms

"This is interesting. All of you should come here. You need to see this for yourself." Rudbornn answered and aroused the espadas' curiousity. It didn't take long for all the arrancars to arrive, even the fracciones

"So, what is this about, Rudbornn?" Grimmjow asked, annoyed that his training session was interrupted

"Take a look at this." Rudborrn answered as he drew up the screen. When they saw what was on it, they were surprised. Eleven epicenters of the tremors and every single one being in hueco mundo, and this was only considering that their radar only extended to a hundred miles, for now

"What the? Eleven epicenters?" Apacci said as she eyed them all, spread throughout different directions from las noches

Not wanting to waste time, Harribel immediately barked instructions. "We should split up and check out all of them."

"But if we did that, we'd be going alone, not to mention we still lack one to check the final one." Pesche pointed out

"That's true." Ulquiorra said. "Rudbornn, have five exequias accompany us to each of these tremors. They will serve as a scout and if you give us the clear, only then will we proceed."

"Speaking of which, maybe have Rudbornn's exequias scout the final one?" Starrk suggested

"That's fine by me. I will have the exequias meet you at the main gates in about five minutes." Rudbornn said and they all left after that as he prepared his exequias

It didn't take long for Rudbornn's exequias to arrive at the gates and he directed each of them towards the epicenters. Upon arriving, each of them were surprised beyond belief as what they saw was something never seen before in hueco mundo

"What the hell is this?! Water? A lake?" Grimmjow said in complete surprise. "Does anyone else see something?"

"I do. It appears to be an oasis." Ulquiorra noted as he arrived in his

Soon, the others arrived at the ones they went to and were greeted by the same sight

"I also found the same thing but for some reason, the trees appear to be similar to the ones in the menos forest." Harribel said and all the other arrancars also reported the same thing

Rudbornn then took this time to analyze and compared it with the previous data they got from exploring the pathways from the menos forest. He was surprised at what he saw. "Interesting. These oases appear to be directly above the other forests we found a few months ago."

"Really?" Lilynette asked in surprise

"I see. I say we check the area first for anything out of the ordinary and ask Kisuke or Aizen what they make of this." Nel suggested. The others agreed to this and began scouting the oasis in front of them

"Alright, I'll contact Kisuke and Aizen in the meantime." Rudbornn said

About an hour later, the arrancars came back from their little scouting mission. Kisuke and Aizen were already here when they arrived and has requested that they bring a sample of water from each oasis

"So, what do you think?" Ulquiorra asked as they all observed the oases from the screen

"That I can't be sure. I'll have to bring this to the shop to see if it is any different from other waters so that might take a while." Kisuke said thoughtfully. "What do you think, Aizen?" he asked, looking at said person

"I don't think this is any coincidence. What Zhakuro didn't mention to you guys is that hueco mundo is the part of the original world that was the main battlefield of their war against his father three thousand years ago." Aizen said and widened everyone's eyes. "My guess is he wanted to undo some of the damage but not completely undo it to the point where it would drastically change what we know of it."

"Then does that mean that this water is the same from the world of the living?" Nel asked curiously

"Even if it is, it's still best to test this out in Kisuke's shop just to be safe." Aizen answered

"Agreed. Although someone should probably check on the soul society to see if something also changed there." Kisuke added. "Perhaps one of the quincies who are free."

**-Soul Society-**

In the distance far away from the seireitei, something similar also begun to happen. Among the mountain ranges, many lakes have begun to form along with lots of rivers and waterfalls. Unlike hueco mundo, not a single indicator to any change actually happened here, which wasn't a big deal since it's normal for a mountain range to have rivers or lakes somewhere among them

**-World of the Living-**

Aizen and Kisuke returned to the shop not that much later after their trip to hueco mundo. They were greeted with Yoruichi who was just lounging around

"So, what did the arrancars want you to see?" Yoruichi said and saw Kisuke lifting a few vials. "Water?"

"Kisuke, I'll be on my way." Aizen said and began walking towards the door, not really wanting to stick around and watch whatever these two were going to do

"Alright, Aizen." Kisuke said as the man left

"You still haven't answered my question, Kisuke." Yoruichi said after Aizen left

"Oh yeah, sorry. Actually, some oases have appeared in hueco mundo." Kisuke said as he stashed away the vials

"Oases? As in those lakes that appear in the middle of the desert?" Yoruichi aksed as she got up, interest piqued by recent events

"Yes. According to Aizen, this could be one of the changes. Zhakuro didn't tell us but hueco mundo was the area in which most of the battles took place three thousand years ago." Kisuke explained as he sat down

"I see. That makes sense." Yoruichi said before looking at the door heading to their underground training area. "I think I'm gonna go to the soul society to see if something like this happened there."

"I was already thinking about that. I also thought about asking some of the quincies." Kisuke added

"When are you gonna ask?" Yoruichi asked with a dirty smirk

"Maybe some time later. The day is still young anyway." Kisuke responded with his own smirk

As he was some distance away, Aizen began to think about something, namely his conversation with Zhakuro and the horsemen before they sacrificed themselves. From what they said, it would only happen once things began to change. Thinking about where his objective could be, Aizen realized that it wouldn't be in the soul society so he travelled to hueco mundo

**-Hueco Mundo-**

Aizen returned back to hueco mundo after thinking about his next move. This time however, he made sure that he would exit in a place out of range from las noches' radar. Even if he hid his spiritual pressure, it would be pointless as that radar detects signs of life and not spiritual pressure alone

He wandered around the desert for quite a long time, only stopping by some random oases he found along the way, ones that were beyond the fortress' radar. Since the fortress did not detect anything ever since the war ended, it was safe to assume his objective wasn't anywhere near las noches

Aizen walked around the desert hoping to find something. It took him nearly at nearly dusk before he finally found what he was looking for, Ichigo Kurosaki. Unlike the last time he saw him, a large part of his clothes were ripped and his face now bore a scar running down from above his right eye in a diagonal pattern downwards facing the opposite side. Another scar was also there but smaller and it ran across his nose

"Ichigo?" Aizen asked as he poked the body

It took a few minutes before the body finally responded. "Huh? Where am I?" Ichigo groaned out as he regained consciousness and slowly got up. He looked around and saw that he was in a place that appeared to be hueco mundo only, it had a lake nearby. He then looked the other way and saw the one who awakened him from his slumber. "Aizen? What? How am I still alive?" he asked as his memories came back to him

The former captain merely smiled at this before helping Ichigo up. Even after nearly half a year of just laying there, the hybrid was still able to walk fine but Aizen could tell, this is probably the weakest Ichigo has been for a very long time. "I'll explain later. For now, let's surprise your family."

Ichigo just stared at AIzen who opened a garganta and left for the world of the living

'Did you two know I would survive that war?' the hybrid asked his inner spirits before finally following the former captain

**"Naturally. As we said to you before, our goal is to make sure you survive whatever nonsense you get yourself mixed up in."**

'That still doesn't explain how I survived that. I could have sworn I succeeded in that ritual to destroy hell once and for all.'

_"Actually, you did succeed, Ichigo. The reason for you being alive is not one which you would expect."_

'And I suppose neither of you are gonna tell me?'

**"Nope. You'll be surprised at it."**

_"Besides, it is probably time for you to finally confront them, Ichigo."_

'This isn't gonna end well.'

Meanwhile, Aizen was aware that Ichigo had not followed him yet. He figured that the hybrid must still be confused so he didn't bother to go back and fetch him and instead, used this chance to contact the Urahara shop. "Kisuke, can you have Isshin and his daughters meet me at your shop?"

"At this hour? The sun is already setting. What exactly do you want to talk with them at this time?" Kisuke asked curiously

"Just something that all of you are going to be really surprised." Aizen responded in a serious tone. The shopkeeper thought about it for a few minutes before giving in

"Alright. Where are you anyway?" Kisuke asked

"In the garganta. I'll be there in about ten minutes." Aizen said before hanging up. The exit soon showed itself and he exited at the base of one of the pillars from Kisuke's tenkai ketchu. Ichigo soon exited a few minutes after Aizen. "You okay?" he asked the hybrid

"Not really. I'm not looking forward to this and my body feels like crap." Ichigo grumbled

"What do you expect? You did after all, destroy an entire realm." Aizen said before walking. "Let's go."

Wanting to get this over with, Ichigo just followed as it seems that there is no running from it. They arrived at the Urahara shop a little over ten minutes later and the former captain entered the place first

"What do you want Aizen? And why did you want me to bring my daughters?" Isshin asked suspiciously as he entered the main room

"I have someone who I'm sure you'll definitely want to meet." Aizen answered and moved aside. Ichigo then soon came in and everyone's jaws dropped to the ground

"Ichigo?" Isshin asked, speechless at what he saw

"Big brother!" Yuzu said in joy as she ran to hug Ichigo, who gladly returned the hug

"Hey, it's been a long time, Yuzu, Karin, dad." Ichigo said as he looked at his family before nodding at his two former mentors

"What is this? Is this one of your illusions?!" Karin demanded to know as she grabbed Aizen by his shirt

"This isn't an illusion, Karin. I'm actually here." Ichigo said and looked towards AIzen. Only then did they notice that his clothes was ripped and the scar on his face. "So, mind explaining to me how I'm still alive?"

"Gladly. Right before Zhakuro conducted that ritual, I asked him if there was a way to ensure that you would surive. According to him, there was but another sacrifice had to be made so I asked if my immortality would suffice. They said it would but on the off chance it won't, they decided to use part of the soul king's power that remained on his corpse to make sure you survive although I was surprised you were able to regain consciousness as quickly as you did." Aizen explained and everyone was surprised that Aizen, of all people, would actually do such a thing. "That being said, it still wasn't a guarantee so I never mentioned this to anyone as to not give any false hope."

"I see. Why did you do that though? And how did you know where to find Ichigo?" Kisuke asked suspisciously and this piqued the hybrid's curiosity once more

"All of us, in one way or another, owe something to Ichigo. I think it's only fair I repay my part of that debt. The reason I knew Ichigo would be in hueco mundo is as I mentioned, it is where most of the battles three thousand years ago happened. As such, it is the only place that resembles hell the most and the place most likely where Ichigo would end up." Aizen said before looking at Ichigo. "Just so we're clear, I don't swing that way."

Ichigo merely chuckled at this while everyone laughed lightly. The traitor that they once knew has actually changed from what they knew of him. "I would be surprised if you did." he responded with a smirk. "So, what are you gonna do now, Aizen?"

"Nothing really. Just get yourself some rest. Everyone will want to see you by tomorrow." Aizen said and left. Even though he has changed, he still doesn't bother to tell what he wants to do next

Ichigo's sisters then began fawning over him like he was some sort of doll. He didn't really mind it as the last time he saw them, he said he would just get their father back. They spent some family time in the underground until Kisuke approached them

"Hey, Kisuke, what's up?" Ichigo asked

"Would you mind staying here the night, Ichigo? I would like to do some check ups on you to see if anything's wrong." Kisuke answered

"Fine by me." Ichigo said before looking at his sisters. "What about you?"

"That's fine with us, Ichigo. We'll meet you tomorrow morning." Isshin answered and his sisters nodded in understanding

"Okay then. I'll have Tessai whip you up something to eat, Ichigo. You must be hungry after all this time." Kisuke said in his usual tone

"Honestly, not really. I was unconscious since then." Ichigo said before remembering something. "Wait, how long have I been gone anyway?"

"It's been six months since the war ended, Ichigo." Isshin answered with a hint of sadness

"I see. Time sure does fly, doesn't it." Ichigo said with a smile and pretty soon, his family went back home. Kisuke then filled him in on what had happened ever since he was thought to be dead and to say the hybrid was surprised would be an understatement. He was worried about humans somehow transforming and gaining powers or something but the shopkeeper reassured him that it didn't happen. He even showed Ichigo the data from their little bacteria just for good measure before letting the hybrid rest

'You two knew that Aizen did that, didn't you?' Ichigo asked his inner spirits

_"Yes, we knew that Aizen would do something to ensure you would live."_

'And how did you two know that?'

"**I'm surprised that you haven't noticed it, Ichigo. You are the first person that Aizen considered as a genuine ally and not merely a pawn for his own ends unlike the others who served under him."**

'What does that have to do with anything?'

_"When you find someone you consider an ally, you would exhaust all other possibilities before leaving them to die. That is just how things work."_

**"Exactly. That's like one of the instincts one has and the only reason you're even surprised is that you never knew him. Well, neither did us but the point is the only thing we knew about Aizen was what he showed. It seems that even he would not want those he considers as allies to die."**

_"Either that or he had a change of heart."_

'Well, that's true, now that I think about it. Damn, my head hurts.' Ichigo grumbled as he grabbed his head. 'And how come this scar didn't heal? Is my high speed regeneration broken or something?' he wondered as he ran a finger through the scars on his face

_"It is not. You have not been actively controlling your powers as you were unconscious for half a year because of the amount of energy released when hell was destroyed. The amount was so massive that it even hampered your powers. You can feel it. Usually, you would regain your strength in a matter of minutes but right now, it is taking quite some time even after spending a few minutes in hueco mundo after regaining consciousness."_

**"Besides, keep it. That scar looks cool."**

'Will this ever heal?'

**"It would but only after you've fully regained your strength."**

'That's good to know and you know what, I'm gonna keep it.'

_"Why is that?"_

'Just as a reminder that of the crap we all went through.' Ichigo answered before heading towards Kisuke, who then began to do some check up on him

After a few minutes, Kisuke was finished. "You're all good, Ichigo. Although I have to ask, how come the scar on your face hasn't healed yet?"

"I still haven't fully regained my powers." Ichigo answered. Before Kisuke could respond, the door opened

"Hello, Ichigo. I made this for you." Tessai said as he put down some clothes. They were the exact color of what Senjumaru made for him many months ago. When the hybrid checked it out, they were almost exactly the same as the one he wore during both wars. "I apologize. I couldn't make it exactly how Senjumaru did." Tessai said apologetically

"Don't worry about it. It's perfect." Ichigo said with a smile

"Welcome back, Ichigo." Yoruichi said, relieved that one of her former students is actually alive

It didn't take long for the news to spread as Aizen informed everyone about Ichigo during the night. By next morning, the arrancars came

"ICHIGOOOO!" Nel said as she rushed out the garganta and bear hugged the hybrid

Since Ichigo was still a bit weak, he staggered for a bit before regaining his footing. "Hey, Nel. Good to see you two." he barely managed to say before seeing the other arrancars exited the garganta and Nel let him go

"So, you actually did make it out alive." Ulquiorra commented in his usual manner, completely ruining the mood. "How did you survive it?"

"Honestly, Aizen. He said that right after I left to destroy hell, he gave up his immortality to ensure I would make it out alive." Ichigo said while scratching the back of his head

"Well, it seems that you didn't make it out alive unscathed either." Harribel said, pointing to the scars on his face

"Wait, can't your high speed regeneration heal that? Or are you keeping it?" Starrk asked curiously

"I'm keeping it, just as a reminder of all that nonsense we went through and no. My powers still haven't returned even though it's already been a few hours, well, most of it anyway." Ichigo said with a small smile

"That's good. I still want a rematch, you hear me, Kurosaki? So hurry up and get your powers back already." Grimmjow said with a grin on his face

"That eager to get your ass handed to you, huh?" Apacci said slyly and made all of the fracciones laugh

"You have some nerve talking like that to me." Grimmjow said in a very angry tone. Before any of the fracciones could annoy him further, someone else spoke

"Well now, look who's back." the voice said, belonging to Bambietta as she and the other quincies arrived to join them

"Hey, you guys. I see the war hasn't been kind to you." Ichigo commented as he took note of those who were not present when he last saw them all

"You're one to talk with that scar on your face." Bazz B retorted with his own smile

"It's good to see you alive, Ichigo." Candice said

"Thanks. To be honest, I never thought I would survive that war." Ichigo said honestly

"Well, neither did all of us. That war was unlike anything we have ever seen before." Liltotto commented. The sound of clapping hands soon got everyone's attention

"Hey, hey, hey. Now that the kid's alive, what do you say we throw a party?" Kukaku said as she approached along with her brother

"Sounds good to me." Bambietta answered

"That's fine with us as well." Harribel said before looking at her fraccion. "Call Rudbornn to come here as well."

The others wondered how he would do some drinking but ultimately, they just let it go. The point was just to celebrate that the hybrid is back and alive

"Aren't you going to ask if I even want to party?" Ichigo asked in an annoyed tone

"No, because you don't ever party, do you, kid?" Kukaku said in a reprimanding tone

"She's right, Ichigo. We should just take it easy, just for a day. After that, we'll go back to our duties." Yoruichi said. The hybrid wondered what duties she meant but he figured it was about checking the humans every now and then. Still, he was going to have to ask later

As noon approaches, everyone was busy with preparing the party. Ichigo was the most annoyed out of all of them since he never really liked parties that much, especially the drinking part. During the whole time though, he was wondering if the soul reapers would come, or if they truly kept their word but ultimately, he just made his decision about it

When noon finally arrived, the soul reapers also arrived at the shop. Ichigo was really surprised that all of them came, especially someone like Soi Fon. Another thing that surprised him is that the captains all ditched their coats. They were only wearing some new clothes. The color was still black but it wasn't the shihakusho that they wore before. It was a different type of robes that didn't have that much of a fancy designs. It seems that they really were serious about putting the past behind. Ichigo's family has also arrived and the hybrid had his hands full of stopping Kukaku or Ganju from giving them alcohol, to which they replied Ichigo was a stick in the mud. To everyone's surprise, even Aizen actually joined in on the party

Eventually, Kyoraku and Jushiro asked to speak with Ichigo in private. The hybrid agreed to it and they went behind a rock

"What did you want to talk about?" Ichigo asked when they were out of anyone else's hearing range

"We wanted to apologize, Ichigo, for what we were planning to do to you if you sided with Ginjo. We know there isn't much we can say nor offer to gain your forgiveness for it." Kyoraku said in a sad tone mixed with hope

Ichigo regarded them both for a bit and the tense atmosphere only worried the two soul reapers that the hybrid will still consider them as enemies. "To be honest, I don't trust you and I don't think I will for a very long time." he finally spoke after a while and it obviously caused the soul reapers to feel down. "But, that choice is not something I alone should make. Since the others seem to be willing to give you a chance, I guess I will as well. Maybe even you guys can change. After three wars, I'm not really keen in having one again anytime soon."

The soul reapers cheered up at this. They really were thankful of this chance

"Thank you, Ichigo. I hope we can finally have peace, for all of us." Jushiro said with a smile. He and Kyoraku then shook Ichigo's hands, completely satisfied that all the hatred over the years was gonna be put aside

"Where are you going, Ichigo?" Kyoraku asked as the hybrid began to leave

"Just for a walk. I haven't seen much of the town since the war began." Ichigo said and flashed towards the main room. At this point, he has already regained some of his powers but most of it still hasn't returned. It seems the primordial energies were too much for even him to handle

The hybrid began walking around town, observing what has happened since then. The town was mostly intact with a few destroyed buildings here and there. Since they didn't use a tenkai ketchu during the war against the sinners, it wasn't a surprise that the town was damaged. 'You can't protect everything no matter how hard you try.' the words rang in his mind. It wasn't exactly what his inner spirits told him but that was the point. He really felt bad about two of his friends dying but there was nothing he can do about it now so like with the others, he might as well try to move forward. Ichigo then continued walking around town and he felt that nobody even came to look for him. He was glad as he really didn't like parties and he wanted some time alone

Eventually, he arrived at the karakura river, specifically the spot where his mother was killed. Since he wasn't in his human body, none of the humans can see him so he just stood there, looking into the distance

'I wonder what mom would think of me after everything that happened.'

_"I highly doubt she would be mad or condemn you. In fact, I am sure that she would be like the others, regretting that someone so young would have to take part in a war like that."_

Ichigo didn't respond at this and just stood there, gazing into the river. He was like that for a few hours. When it was about sunset, he felt two familiar presences come behind him

"Ichigo?" Renji asked

The hybrid turned around and saw his two friends. After everything that happened, he was surprised neither of them were upset especially after what he did to Byakuya. "I'm surprised. I thought you guys would be furious at me after I nearly killed Byakuya, twice." he reminded them

The duo obviously did not like the memory but they didn't get mad about it

"We were but to be honest, we probably deserved it. You just saved us from Aizen and the captains wanted to kill you like that." Rukia said sadly

"But Captain Kyoraku did say that you were willing to give us a chance to earn back your trust." Renji added

"I thought the thirteen court guard squads broke up?" Ichigo asked curiously

"It did. It's just a force of habit." Rukia answered before realizing something. "What were you doing here, Ichigo?"

"Nothing. Just thinking about everything that's happened." Ichigo said as the sun set

"So, you're not upset anymore?" Renji aasked

"Not really. Maybe we can still be friends even after what your captains wanted to do." Ichigo said with a smile as a breeze blew by

"Come on. Let's go back to the party. Everyone's waiting for you." Renji said and with that, the three of them went back to shop as the sun finally set

* * *

**Here it is, the final chapter. Not the best one I came up with but this is how I wanted this to end. I didn't want to write it like after the main battle, there will be a massive gap in time from the epilogue and the previous parts. I never liked those kinds of parts so I just made mine like this. And yeah, I didn't ship Ichigo with anyone so grumble all you want. I'm not gonna ship him with anyone and honestly, I don't really think any couples would do in Bleach. Gin is probably the only exception for me as well, he was friends with Rangiku since they were small but that's it**

**I just want to say thank you for all those who stick with me up to this end. I probably won't be making any other fanfics any time soon since they take up so much time and there are other stuff I want to do**

**Please don't hate me for using a virus in the first part. That was already how I wanted to write this part of the story when I first came up with it**

**Well, that's about it I guess. Thanks again**


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